Akatsuki no Kuruma
by mistressinwaiting
Summary: When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.
1. 1st Dawn

-When Sasuke leaves, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Oh my Kami-sama… This is my 13th fanfic… Wow… I really have to stop coming up with so many ideas and start trying to finish my old ones… But anyway, thank you all who have stayed with me for so long. This is actually my first fanfic with Sakura being a part of Akatsuki… Whoops, I gave away the biggie… Sorry. I'm also going to make this a SauSaku fanfic, but I'm debating on how I can make this a SasuSaku story. So if you guys have any ideas on that, it would be appreciated. But I hope I write a story that will meet your standards, and I hope you enjoy this story. Thank you and you can start reading now!**

* * *

_Calling out to the wind_

_Shaded by the trees_

_I'm lying face-down_

_Crying_

* * *

~The First Dawn~

As Sakura lamented on her failed mission, she couldn't help but blame herself. She just stood there as her teammates fought. She should've tried harder. She should've done _more_. She _could've_ done so much more. When Yamato had blocked her from Sasuke's attack, she should've counterattacked him then. But she didn't. She was too weak, too distracted. All of her training was for _nothing_. If anything, she only learned how to _pretend_ to be strong. She had made no difference. In fact, she might have cost them this chance to get Sasuke back. If she hadn't been so reckless to attack like that then Yamato wouldn't have needed to cover her, and he might've been able to do something else. All she did was get in the way again… How could she even call herself a kunoichi? Why was she even _on_ Naruto's team? She wasn't as strong as him or Sai or Yamato and certainly not as strong as Kakashi.

None of them had a family. She . . . sort of had one, but her parents . . . they neglected her as far as she knew it. She was just as alone as any of her teammates. Was it the fact that she was a girl that would cause her this weakness? It couldn't be… Tsunade was one of the legendary Sanin, and she was also a female. So the problem . . . it _had_ to be her… Sakura had only herself to blame. She didn't train hard enough but, even if she did, she would never catch up with her teammates. She would _always_ be the weak link. Sasuke and Kakashi had their Sharingan, Naruto had the Kyuubi, Yamato had the Shodai's cells, and Sai had received training similar to that godforsaken tradition of the Village Hidden in Bloody Mist. If she wanted to play catch-up then she needed to find something to would help make her stronger. But _what_? The Kyuubi had unspeakable power and was a tailed-beast, so she couldn't go and get herself a demon. The Sharingan was a family thing (despite Kakashi's eye transplant), the Shodai's cells were used as part of an experiment, and that godforsaken tradition was something she just could not handle.

She sulked. Perhaps she would always be the weak little girl from her genin days…

But . . . there were always her parents. She could go train with them and—no, it was out of the question. How could she even think that? She would never… They may have been her flesh and blood, but they were _never_ there for her… Going to them would just hurt her pride… And if she _did_ go, who said they _would_ help her? The only thing that connected them was the fact that she was their daughter. They didn't give a damn about her. It would have been worse than going to Orochimaru. And she wouldn't do that.

She was so frustrated. For her to be strong… Was that only meant to be a faraway dream? Something even more than a goal, more than a reality, for her? Why couldn't she be strong? Was she meant to stay so _weak_? She had asked that question so many times before. She had tried so much harder than many others. How could she _not_ reach her expectations? Was she really fated to be so _weak_?

She couldn't imagine other people's pains… It was hard for her to share that pain because she did not know it. Perhaps if she did, would she be any stronger? She was _always_ being protected. She wondered . . . if those hands weren't there, would she be any stronger? She had always laughed with such ease… If she were to understand her teammates—her friends—their pains, would she _be_ stronger?

The wind had picked up then. And the cherry blossom petals began to fall, floating in the air. The view helped calmed her. But then . . . amidst all of those flower petals, Sakura spotted a full cherry blossom falling. She held out her hand, and it floated right into her palm. A closer look at the flower showed her that it was made out of paper.

"_Origami_…?"

She looked around, searching for anyone there. She couldn't find or see anyone in the surrounding area. She took another look at the flower. This time, her eyes widened. She recognized the distinct pattern.

"Oh, Kami-sama… What does she want _now_?" She sighed as she stood from her seat, dusting off her skirt. "Hm… Should I change?" she asked herself. She shrugged. It really wouldn't matter anyway. She hadn't seen the woman in over a few years already, so she decided to just be herself. Besides, why did she need to change for some woman who cared only enough about her to just visit once every three to five _years_?

As Sakura made her way through the park, she kept a smile on her face. Everyone only knew her as a smiling girl, not a troubled one, and she intended to keep it that way—parents or not.

"Hey, Forehead!"

"Ino-pig, how many times have I told you _not_ to call me that?"

"Sorry, but I can't change my habits just as you can't stop calling me a pig." the Yamanaka said as she came in pace with the rosette. "So what are you doing today?"

"Nothing much… I'm just taking a walk for the moment."

"Oh, come on. I know you're depressed about that mission, but you know you can talk to me about it, right?"

Sakura eyed her friend suspiciously. "Pig, you just want to know if Sasuke got hotter or not."

"Well, _duh_! Can you blame me? I mean, he's hanging out with Pedophile Sr. and Jr., and you _know_ how creepy they are!"

"Gee, what a wonderful point you got there…"

"So spill."

"Hm… There's nothing much except that he dresses like a prostitute now."

"_WHAT_?"

"It's true, Pig. Oh, and I think he became gay or something."

"Pinkie say _what_?"

"It's really all true. He was hugging _Naruto_."

"Oh, Kami-sama! Tell me more!"

"You'll have to wait, Pig. I've got a meeting to attend."

Ino snorted. "Yeah, right. The last time you scored a date was a whole _year_ ago. Do you _really_ expect me to believe that you've actually _agreed_ to someone's asking you out?"

"It's not a date. And yes, you're not invited." And then she left Ino there to her own thoughts.

"A meeting?" the blonde asked herself. "There's no way!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Sakura came upon the usually meeting place, she sat down on a tree stump and waited. She knew she didn't have to wait long, and she knew the conversation wouldn't take that long. The woman was always busy. Maybe she might not even show up, for all Sakura knew.

"What are you four doing here?" The question almost came out as a vicious snarl.

"Now, now, Pinkie," Kisame chuckled. "Your mother is sorry, but she was unable to come here to visit you."

"Figures…" Sakura had already expected that. However, her heart begged to differ as tears glistened in her eyes. "Then why are all four of you here? I doubt it's just to tell me that small, little message."

"Your father would like it very much if you were to go to him instead of having your mother come to you," Hidan explained.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Zombie Man, but I can't be seen associating with the likes of you. It would ruin my reputation."

"You don't have a choice, un," Deidara said.

"_I _don't have a choice?" Sakura scoffed. Who did these people think she was? "I'm your boss's _daughter_! _You're_ the ones who don't have a say in any damn thing I do!"

"Language, Pinkie."

"Shut up, Red-Eye. I have made myself clear. I don't want to associate with _creatures_ such as you four! Especially not _you_, Uchiha…"

Itachi sighed. "I had hoped you would be more reasonable than your teammates…"

"_Reasonable_? What's so _reasonable_ about going with four S-ranked criminals to their secret hideout?"

"Please quiet down, un," Deidara said, sighing. He never did like it whenever he had to face Sakura's tantrums. It was the whole reason why they decided that Konan would come by herself whenever she wanted to visit the cherry blossom. "Your parents—"

"THEY DON'T HAVE _THE RIGHT _TO BE CALLED MY PARENTS!" Sakura screamed, her tears finally pouring out of her eyes. "For _years_ . . . I've been alone at home because they _left_ me here… For _years_ at a time, I wouldn't see them. And when I do, it's only for _less_ than ten _minutes_! Why should _I_ go see _them_? It should be _them_ coming to see _me_!"

"Pinkie, now calm down…"

"No, Shark-skin, you shut up! I'm not going, and that's _final_!"

Itachi sighed. "I had hoped it would not come to this, but…"—he grabbed her arm—"Your father has instructed us to use force if necessary."

"Let go of me!" Sakura snapped, pulling her arm from Itachi's grasp.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Ino struggled to walk through the forest, she tripped over something and fell over. "Ugh! I _swear_! When I find her, Forehead's so _dead_ when I get through with her!" She had her own suspicions. This "_meeting_" Sakura had told her about, it wasn't work-related. If it was then Ino would've known about it because she, too, worked at the hospital.

Just exactly what was going on? Why was Sakura trying to hide something from her? And what was that something?

"THEY DON'T HAVE _THE RIGHT _TO BE CALLED MY PARENTS!"

"That was Sakura!" Ino bolted from her spot on the ground, running now. She had never heard her friend so angry before…

When she came upon the clearing, she quickly hid behind a large tree. _That's the Akatsuki! What's Sakura doing with them?_

She saw as one of them forcibly grab Sakura's hand. She saw how Sakura freed herself. They were talking again. But about _what_? Ino tried to listen, but she couldn't. She was too far away. She saw as the one with the sword, the one with blue skin, smiled. And she saw how the blonde one that surprisingly looked almost exactly like her seemed to have relaxed a bit. But then her eyes caught onto someone, the one who had grabbed Sakura's arm. Was that _Sasuke_? No, this person was too old to be the Uchiha, but he looked so much like her friend's ex-teammate. Could he have been Sasuke's brother?

Ino had no time to figure things out because, in the next second, they were gone with Sakura.

* * *

**Oh, wow… I never thought that this chapter would be so short… Oh, well, I'll just take this time to promote my other fanfics.**

**恋はスリル、ショック、サスペンス: Okay, so what happens when you put all of the Naruto characters plus 5 OCs into a Kdrama-based fanfic? Nothing good, that's for sure… But hey, when you've got Sasuke and Sakura together, love is always a thrill, shock, and suspense! In this, you'll see SasuSaku, NaruHina, and many more couples. However, the story's extended to see how family matters get into our favorite couples' ways! And just exactly why are Sakura and Naruto fighting with each other? I'm telling you there's nothing gay in this story!**

**_Narutard Theater Extras_: Okay, so as the Truth-or-Dare game goes crazy, our favorite shinobi are forced to act out scenes from our favorite movies and fairytales. Oh, god, shinobi as actors? That's something worth paying to see! What could possibly go wrong? -CHAPTER 9- Warning: this is a COMEDY/ROMANCE story. You'll see how Naruto reacts to a flu shot, an Election Day for Hokage, and being thrown in jail!**

**_Beyond the Realm of Conscience_: Team Yamato gets a mission which involves the Royal Family of the Land of Fire. However, they soon find out Team Hebi's there. And just what is Sakura's relationship to Lady Cornelia and Lady Euphemia? DARK SAKURA FANFIC AND INCLUDES CODE GEASS CHARACTERS In this, you'll see how cool Sakura can be and how her plan, though making her the bad guy, turns out for the better good!**

**_Shinobi series_: Under the series name _Shinobi_, my _Mirrorcle World _and _Heart Under Blade _fanfics are my takes on how Shippuden should have gone. The twists don't come as unexpectedly, and the romance we want to see is there. We see the kunoichi not just as backup but at their strongest, and we see how everything changes if Sakura becomes Konoha's first hunter-nin!**

**_Fated_: With Hinata's pregnancy behind them, Team 7 is finally reunited, but things are definitely not the same anymore. Naruto's a dad, Sasuke falls for Sakura, and Sakura... Well, her real mom's come to take her back! What's going to happen? -sequel to Passion- For those who love crossover fanfics and some comedy here and there, this is the fanfic for you! You'll see C.C. and Lelouch from _Code Geass_, characters from _Inuyasha_ and _Chobits_, and so much more!**

**死に時, 日向: All is going well in the Naruto world. The war has ended, and Naruto is being named Hokage. But when a group of assassins kills off every villager, Naruto gets put into a coma for 4 years. And when he wakes up, he's set out for revenge. -BASED ON KILL BILL- In this, we'll see some badass Hyuga and some better fighting scenes than from my other fanfics.**

**And . . . that's it. I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter so far. I'll update as soon as I decide how I want to make this a SasuSaku fanfic, kay? Oh, and if you guys have any ideas of how that can be, I'll gladly take them!**


	2. 2nd Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yay! The second chapter's up! Yay! Usually, I have it up quicker, and usually the chapter's a bit longer, but I was on vacation in the Bahamas so . . . yeah, you guys get it. Oh, and you know those song lyrics at the beginning of the chapters of this fanfic? Yeah, they're the English translations of the Japanese song _Akatsuki no Kuruma _(which means _Dawn's Carriage_) by FictionJunction YUUKA. Oh, and by the way, that's the song this fanfic is named after, 'kay? And without further ado, here's the second chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it! And please, do review!**

* * *

_I saw a version of myself_

_I didn't even recognize_

_I'm playing the melody of someone,_

_who's passed on, on this guitar_

* * *

~The Second Dawn~

Sakura almost sneered. It would appear that the Akatsuki's taste in fashion and housing was much worse than she had initially thought. She hated every bit of time she had to spend with them. Right now, she was being forced down the long, steel staircase to who knows where. All she knew was that it was dark and damn cold. Well, actually, the coldness was emitting from her aura, so it was really just the darkness that annoyed her.

"Pinkie, if you continue to glare at us like that, your face might get stuck like that."

"Ha-ha, very funny, Shark-boy. I almost forgot to laugh." she retorted, adding a tch at the end of her sentence. The quicker she saw her parents, the quicker she got out of that dump.

Kisame grimaced. _And here I thought she had more manners. What happened to that innocent, little girl who called me Uncle? Perhaps it's because I attacked her friends._ He shrugged. _Oh, well… We'll grow on her, sooner or later._

The rest of the walk continued on in silence. When Sakura and the four Akatsuki members reached the bottom of the stairwell, she only saw a small room. But before she could insult it, Itachi and Kisame made two different hand seals: the snake and the dragon.

"Release!"

This gesture had Sakura confused for a moment. If they had just protected their hideout with just genjutsu then why did they use those hand seals?

But her question went unanswered as the ground began to shake, and the stone wall in front of them receded back into the ground, revealing a large cavern. A few other Akatsuki members just stood around, almost as if they were bored or something. Sakura was disgusted by their presence and made a quick mental note to herself to take a shower once she got home (and maybe even wash out her eyeballs). She was even more grossed out when the other Zombie Brother looked at her as if he wanted to _eat_ her. Though she had met him once six years ago, she had no intention of "getting to know him better."

"Ooh! They're back! Deidei-chan, did you miss Tobi?" This earned a few chuckles from Kisame and Zetsu.

Sakura could've burst out laughing at how _gay_ that sounded. However, the tension in the air between her and all of the Akatsuki members (excluding the one that just spoke) took out the funny. Plus, at that moment of time, she couldn't figure out if it had been a boy or girl behind that orange mask and why s/he was talking in third-person.

"Un, stop calling me that!" the blonde Akatsuki member yelled, his fist shaking.

"Uh-oh, Tobi made Deidei-chan mad again!"

"Don't worry, Tobi." Zetsu said. "_Deidei-chan's _just short-tempered."

"What was _that_, you plant-freak?" Deidara was really about to explode something.

"So Tobi's a good boy then?" the orange-masked man asked.

"_Enough_."

And strangely, everyone seemed as though they didn't mind taking orders from the Uchiha.

"Where's Konan?"

"With Leader-sama, as usual." Zetsu answered.

Itachi sighed. "But of course…" He gestured to Sakura. "This way, girl."

And Sakura followed him out of the room. In all honesty, she was grateful. She didn't want to spend another minute in that room filled with so many criminals. In fact, she might've gone crazy if she had stayed in there any longer. But as she continued to walk through the dark hallway, she couldn't help but glare at Itachi's back. For her to be stuck with _him_! Of all people! Sasuke would probably have killed her if he saw her with the man that killed his whole family. But she tried to look on the bright side. At the very least, she wasn't with _Orochimaru_! That was something good, wasn't it? And then there was Naruto and Ino's constant ramblings. She was far from them now, so she could finally get some piece of mind now, right? But it would soon turn out that she would begin to miss her friends the minute she thought of them.

Did they even notice that she was gone? If so then how was Naruto taking the news? She sincerely hoped he wasn't going crazy and trying to look for her despite the Hokage's orders. And speaking of the Hokage, what about her mentor? Sakura knew the story of how Tsunade lost her brother and her lover. She just couldn't put Tsunade through that again. Sakura sincerely hoped they had not realized she was missing. If so, then it'd be chaos.

✿｡.:** :.｡✿

Ino stood there, the wind blowing against her. She stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Her brain just wouldn't work. She stood there for what seemed like hours, waiting for her brain to process the events that had just happened into baby sentences. Sakura and the Akatsuki… Sakura was speaking _with_ the Akatsuki… The Akatsuki kidnapped her… The Akatsuki was _here_… The Akatsuki took away her friend… The Akatsuki kidnapped _her_… _They_ kidnapped her… _Kidnapped_. Sakura was kidnapped!

It only took a split second for Ino to understand that part. Her legs took off running before her brain even gave the command. She yelled for the Hokage as she ran all the way to Tsunade's office, grabbing the attention of everyone she passed. Those who were training or playing, those who were sleeping or eating, it didn't matter. They all turned their heads at the Yamanaka girl who cried for help, but Ino didn't even notice their glancing eyes. She just stayed focused on the news she was to bring and to whom she'd tell it to. She wasn't even aware of her own actions.

She ran up the stairs, dodging out of people's way. Slamming opened Tsunade's office door, she paid no attention to the people in her office. "Lady Tsunade! Something terrible has happened! The Akatsuki have kidnapped Haruno Sakura!"

"_WHAT_?" Naruto was the one who screamed.

Apparently, Ino had come at the wrong time, seeing that Tsunade was mentally rolling her eyes at Naruto's scream. However, the news that her apprentice was taken by the Akatsuki, of all people, hit her hard. Why Sakura? Why would the Akatsuki come all this way for her apprentice? Was it to get to Naruto, the Kyuubi's jinchūriki?

"Yamanaka Ino, start from the beginning. Exactly what has led you to come to this conclusion?"

"Lady Tsunade, I _saw_ them!" Ino said, panting a bit from her long run. "I made no mistake, I'm sure of it! I _saw_ the Akatsuki members—Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame, and two others—take her away in the nearby forest just moments ago!

"Why that bastard!" Naruto would've gone Kyuubi if he hadn't realized he was still in Konoha. That Uchiha bastard had already cost him Sasuke. Now he was taking Sakura too? Hell, not on his watch!

Tsunade was now in deep thought. Her apprentice . . . that was just it about the Haruno that was actually _special_ about her. Sakura was _her_ apprentice. If healing abilities were all the Akatsuki were after this time then they could have taken Shizune or even herself. But nevertheless, Tsunade considered that as a possibility for the motive behind Sakura's kidnapping. The only other thing that would make her valuable to the Akatsuki was the fact that she was close to Naruto. _That has to be it! They kidnapped her to get to Naruto! Dammit! I should've put up more precautions… After all, she has always been—_

"Obaachan! Let me go search for Sakura-chan! Let me bring her home!"

"No, that's out of the picture!" Tsunade almost yelled. "The Akatsuki are most likely after _you_, Naruto. If I send you then I'd be giving them what they want."

The enraged jinchūriki slammed his hands down on the desk. "Then what do you suppose we do? Sit here and wait for the ransom?"

"Naruto, you can't speak to her like that." Ino said. "She's the Hokage."

"Well, she's doing a pretty lousy job then!" Naruto yelled. "Her own _apprentice_! She couldn't even protect Sakura-chan! I can't sit here and do _nothing_! Sakura's probably being tortured or something! I—"

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU'RE THE _ONLY ONE _WHO FEARS FOR _MY APPRENTICE'S _SAFETY!"

That got Naruto to shut up. Ino just glanced back and forth from the Hokage to the boy. She couldn't even speak, her thoughts too occupied by her friend's kidnapping. But was it really a kidnapping? She couldn't shake the image of Sakura _speaking_ to the Akatsuki… The image of her going _willingly_ with them… She couldn't bring herself to believe it, let alone tell either Tsunade or Naruto.

"Shizune!"

"Hai!" the black-haired woman stepped forward.

"Your squad will go as the primary search team. Two whole ANBU squads will accompany your team as you search for Haruno Sakura, but your squad is not to engage in battle." Tsunade explained. "Leave the fighting to the ANBU."

"Hai!" Shizune bowed. "We'll leave right away!" And then she was gone because she, too, was worried about Sakura's well-being. In the years that had come, she had come to see Sakura as a younger sister. And as her older sister, she would see to it that no harm would come to the cherry blossom.

"Naruto, you are to stay in the village with the rest of Konoha 11. Is that understood?"

He didn't answer Tsunade's question.

"Is that understood?" she repeated once more, this time a bit more fiercely.

"Crystal clear." He looked away, knowing that Tsunade had a pretty good reason to keep him confined in the village, but still… He wanted to be _out there_, _searching_ for his friend… Sakura was probably scared to death… Who knew what the Akatsuki'd do to her?

✿｡.:** :.｡✿

"Who was she?" Tobi asked in his most naïve and innocent voice. "That Konoha kunoichi?"

"Oh, _her_?" Kisame asked. He snorted. "Don't go looking at her in the wrong way. She's just someone we've got to be careful around. One can say that we've got another job."

"And that would be…?"

"Babysitting," Hidan answered in a snarl. He was really irritated at the word. He never liked kids anyway.

"Really? That's sounds like fun!" But though he seemed happy about it, Tobi was really not. He had plans, and he didn't need a Konoha kunoichi to mess them up. "But Tobi doesn't understand," he continued. "Why do we need to watch her?"

"She's Leader-sama's daughter," Zetsu answered.

"_Oh_? Tobi didn't know that!" _Maybe this will work out well, after all…_

✿｡.:** :.｡✿

As Sakura entered the room, the first thing she noticed was the person who stood there. A blue-haired woman stared at her with amber eyes which softened when she saw the Konoha kunoichi, a light blue origami flower in her hair. "Sakura…"

And thought Sakura had not seen her in years, she knew immediately who the woman was. "Mama…"

* * *

**Obaachan = grandma**

**Yay, it's done. On to the next chapter! I hoped you guys liked this chapter. I wanted to make it a bit longer, but I couldn't. Sorry… Oh, and I finally made a oneshot, you guys! It's called _APPEARS_, and it's about NaruHina with major SasuSaku and minor Saino and ShikaTema. Please read it if you have a chance! Thank you and please review!**

**

* * *

**

POLLS!

**Okay, so here's the play-by-play so far. In each category, please vote for either option 1 or 2, 'kay?**

**_Family or Home?_**

**1) If Sakura ends up staying then ****I'm going to have her getting all family-like with the Akatsuki, 'kay? But I don't know how I'll do it. I want to put a bit of comedy in this story, so I might have a chapter in which Sakura pretends she doesn't know how to play poker and, in the end, cons all of the Akatsuki members into losing strip poker. I want to add something else in, so I want your ideas of what games they should play.**

**2) If Sakura ends up going back to Konoha, I really have no idea how it'll go.**

_**SasuSaku**_

**1) Sasuke goes on a mission given to him by Orochimaru and, while Sakura's out with either her parents or on a mission, they meet up. But I don't know how I'll make that conversation turn out. Then I just put everything from option 2 into this.**

**2) I cut out the things from option 1, and just have them meet up when Madara gets Sasuke to join the Akatsuki. And from there on, I have a really juicy story plot.**

**So, yea, please vote and tell me your opnions in your reviews!**


	3. 3rd Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yay! A new chapter! Hey, here's what I'm thinking. I'm probably going to be splitting this fanfic into two parts: the first part will be ItaSaku (like a brother and sister relationship) and the second will be SasuSaku, 'kay? Because when I looked this over, I'm going to be running out of song lyrics soon, and I don't think I'll have enough to stretch out over the plot I have. But this is not sure fire yet, okay? I might change the main couple back to SasuSaku since, well, I'm better at that couple.**

**Also, sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I tried to fix it, but it still doesn't feel so right… Please enjoy!**

* * *

_A star falls in the grief of someone_

_who'll never be seen again_

_Please don't go…_

_No matter how much you scream,_

_All it will do is quietly stir these orange petals…_

* * *

~The Third Dawn~

Sakura just glared at the woman who stood in front of her. Really, was she to do anything else? She hadn't even seen the woman in a bit over three years, and now suddenly she orders her kidnapping. Gee, it doesn't seem like a very good way to win over your daughter's heart.

"What's the meaning of calling me here?" Sakura asked. "What purpose do you have of kidnapping me?"

Konan gave no sign of emotion. "Itachi," she addressed the other person in the room. "Please leave."

"Leader-sama has instructed me to watch over you as he deals with other business," the Uchiha explained. "If anything were to happen to you—"

"Are you insinuating that I'd get into a violent fight with my own daughter?"

"SCREW YOU! DO YOU EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CALLED MY _MOTHER_?" Sakura asked, pointing a kunai at the female Akatsuki member.

Immediately, Itachi's sharingan activated as he slammed the Konoha kunoichi into the wall, his grip tightened around her neck.

"ITACHI!" Konan's voice stayed leveled, but the anger there was severely frightening. "Leave. _Now_."

"But she—"

"Leave, Itachi. Before I _make_ you."

Itachi sighed and released his hold on Sakura's neck, causing her to fall to her knees, gasping for air. The Uchiha bowed to Konan before leaving the room.

"You're a hypocrite, you know that?" Sakura asked, once Itachi left the room. "Before, you told me that you didn't want anyone finding out that we're related, but now . . ." She scoffed as she stood. "You don't really care, do you? You just want another something to exercise your authority over."

"It's . . . it's not like that."

"_Really_? Then why did you have to think about what to say? If you really thought that then it shouldn't have been a problem to just naturally say it. It should've just come out of your mouth rather than you hesitating to say it…" Sakura shook her head slighting, tears brimming in her eyes. She swallowed hard. "What exactly do you want me here for?"

"Your father was worried."

"_Worried_? Ha! Don't give me any false hope… He should've been worried when I got my first mission! He should've been worried when I took the chunin exams! He should've been worried when I went up against Sasori! Why does he choose _now_ to worry?"

"Sweetheart…"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Sakura screamed, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall. "What are you trying to do? You and Papa both have left me out of your lives… Why choose now for me to come back, _huh_?"

"Sakura…"

"You're . . . you two are just going to use me, aren't you? To get to Naruto…" Sakura scoffed again, this time her eyes weren't focused anymore. It was almost as if she went crazy. She repeatedly took quick breaths, almost as if to calm herself down. "That's it, isn't it? You just—"

"Sakura, listen to your mother…" Konan said. "We were worried about you. That's why we sent the strongest in our group to go get you. We know you met up with Uchiha Sasuke again, we know that he tried to kill you, and we know he would've succeeded if that ANBU hadn't jumped in the way to protect you."

"_So_? It doesn't prove anything." Sakura tried to stay angry but, in her head, she was happy that her parents cared enough about her to keep tabs on her.

"Sweetie, my heart fell when I heard you were almost _killed_ by your ex-teammate. You don't know how worried I was…"

"I don't believe you…"

"Sweetheart…"

"You've _never_ been there for me. Why should I believe you now?"

"Because I'm your mother and you're my daughter…"

"That's it? That's all you could come up with? That's like Itachi telling Sasuke not to kill him just because he's his brother!"

"Dear, what do you want me to say? What do you want me to do?"

"It doesn't matter. You're too late. Fifteen _years_ too late."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"So . . . how's Pinkie?"

"Don't really know," Itachi answered his partner's question, looking as stoic as ever. "She held Konan at knifepoint."

"She _did_?" Kisame laughed. "Oh-ho, she's changed drastically, hasn't she? Not the same little wallflower she was when she was five… So . . . what happened next?"

"I grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall."

"_What_? You know, Leader-sama will have your head for that!"

". . . I wanted them to have a calm conversation, something my brother and I are deprived of."

"Well, too late for that. If you wanted them to have a _'nice'_ conversation in the first place then you should've taken away Pinkie's weapons."

Itachi didn't say anything else on the matter.

"_Hey_~!"

Itachi almost groaned. "What is it, Tobi?"

"Tobi was wondering…" the funny-man said, fidgeted. "If Itachi-kun could tell me more about our guest."

Itachi's eyes shifted to Tobi, a deadly glare in his eyes. Just what was he getting at?

"Itachi-kun is mad at Tobi, isn't he? Did Tobi say something he shouldn't have?"

The Uchiha didn't answer. He held his glare for a while before walking away. He'd be damned if he let that man know of Sakura's connection to his brother. Who knows what he'd do.

However, even if he hadn't said anything to Tobi, Tobi knew just from the way he was acting that there was something more than what met the eye to the kunoichi. And he was going to find out what.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura plopped down onto her bed, her shaking fists bled as her nails dug deeper and deeper into her skin. She let out a dry chuckle. "Just my luck… JUST MY LUCK!" She swung her fist, and a nearby vase was hit towards the wall. A loud shattering sound filled the room but, in a matter of seconds, the only sound that was heard were Sakura's muffled cries.

For some reason, she couldn't stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She couldn't help but feel so frustrated being in this place, this horrid place! She just wanted out!

The door creaked opened, and she took out a kunai. After all, in a place filled with criminals, one can't be too careful.

"Who's there?"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"I heard she held you at knifepoint… Are you alright?"

"Yes…"

"And the child?"

Konan looked down, caressing her stomach. "It's fine…"

"And our daughter?"

". . . She's not happy here…"

A sigh. "Yes, I know, Konan… I didn't expect her to be. We can only hope the situation will change once you have the child."

"It'll come to her as quite the shock, but she's a good girl… I don't think she will hold anything against the child. Nagato, what exactly are you planning to do with her?"

There was silence for a bit.

"I don't want her going out into this unpleasant world… I don't want her to continue being a kunoichi."

Konan's eyes widened as she glanced back at the Akatsuki leader. "Nagato! If we restrict her freedom, she'll—"

"I don't think there should be a problem."

The two turned to the man who spoke.

"Madara…"

"If Nagato doesn't want his daughter to be a kunoichi then so be it. However…" the mask-wearing man turned to the crippled shinobi. "Nagato, you are the leader of the Akatsuki and the leader of Amegakure. If word gets out that you have a daughter then little Sakura will be in danger."

"If so then what do you suggest we do?" Konan asked.

"Why not allow her to train under each member of the Akatsuki?"

"_What_?"

"We do not know her strengths, and we do not know her weaknesses. In this way, she should train with each of the members as they specialize in different fields. In time, she will grow to be not only one of the greatest medics of all time but also a wonderful and powerful warrior."

Nagato nodded his head, taking this all in. "Fine…"

Konan could hardly believe her ears. "Nagato!"

"We will do as you say, Madara." the leader continued. "I will leave Sakura's education to you then."

"I am honored." Madara gave a slight bow. His evil smirk went unnoticed as his mask hid it.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_What_? So we have to _train_ the little brat?" Hidan asked.

"Un… Do we _have_ to do it, un?" Deidara whined.

"It would seem so," Zetsu said. "After all, we _are_ wanted by most of the Hidden Villages. If rumor gets out that Leader-sama has a daughter, she'll be screwed, and Leader-sama will kill us."

Kisame sighed. "It can't be helped. There's no way we can get out of this. So . . . who's first?"

And suddenly everyone was leaving the room.

"Sorry, I got to go scout things out." Zetsu had said.

"Kakuzu and I have got to do some accounting work" was Hidan's excuse.

"I've got some art to bomb," Deidara said.

And after a long argument, Itachi spoke up. "I'll do it."

Every Akatsuki member's eyes widened as they just stared at the Uchiha.

"You sure, Itachi?" Kisame asked. "I mean, you've never been the guy to socialize. Maybe it's best if—"

"I said, I'll do it."

And with that, the whole conversation ended.

"Hey, has anyone seen Tobi around?" Deidara asked.

"He said he wanted to go exploring the hideout," Hidan answered. "Why? Do you miss him already?"

"SHUT UP!"

It was at this moment that Itachi walked out of the room.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kisame had asked him.

"To find Tobi," Itachi answered.

"Why?"

"Because he went exploring yesterday."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"My, my… The little master has a lot of spunk!"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sakura asked, the kunai still in her hand—her eyes wide on alert. "What do you want?"

"Tobi is sorry he intruded, little master… Tobi just wanted to know how the little master is doing."

"I'm fine," Sakura snapped. "_Leave_!"

"Yeesh, Tobi doesn't know where little master gets that attitude from. Little master—"

"My name is _Sakura_. _Haruno_ Sakura."

"Okay, okay, there is no need to get mad at Tobi. Tobi is a good boy, and his intentions are good." _Haruno Sakura, eh? Where have I heard that name before?_

Sakura scoffed. "You expect me to believe that?"

"Tobi doesn't expect anything. Tobi just wants to make sure Sakura-chan is alright. After all, getting a new sibling isn't always someting good."

"_What_?" Sakura sneered. "_What_ did you say?"

Tobi gasped. "Oh, Sakura-chan doesn't know yet?" He lightly hit his mouth over and over again. "Tobi is a _bad_ boy! Tobi assumed Sakura-chan already knew, so—"

"Tobi, leave."

"Oh, Itachi-sempai!" Tobi quickly turned around. "Tobi was just—"

"Leave. _Now_."

"Hai, hai!" And with that, Tobi shot out of the room.

"What did he tell you?" Itachi asked.

Sakura put away her kunai. "Nothing interesting," she said. However, it was quite the opposite. A new sibling? Was her mother pregnant? There was no way. She knew her father was crippled, so how…? She shrugged it off. Why poke hernose into business that wasn't hers?

"But why should I tell you? You're the enemy."

"Well, sorry you think that but, starting from today, I'm your teacher."

"_What_?"

"Since you are the leader's daughter, I'll be blunt with you. Your father doesn't want you to continue being a kunoichi. However, he _does_ see it fit that you learn how to defend yourself a bit more. After all, being the sole heiress of the positions of leader of the Akatsuki and Amegakure does give one troubles."

* * *

**Yeah, it's done! Just a few more chapters and the second part will start… I promise the next few chapters will be longer. It's just these chapters are just to bring you guys into the story a bit more, kay?**

**Oh, and wait a minute! I made four new oneshots. If you like _Howl's Moving Castle _then you'll like my _Momentum_ oneshot. If you like _Spirited Away _then please check out _Real Emotion _and _Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave_. And if you like SasuSaku, please read _Always with you_. Thank you and please review!**


	4. 4th Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Alright! A new chapter! I think I rushed the ending parts a bit (and maybe the beginning), but I really couldn't come up with anything. And I wanted to put this up and work on my other fanfics because my mom won't let me on the computer on school days anymore. So that means I have to speed up production a bit so that I can update sooner than later. I think I'm falling really behind on my _Shinobi_ series, and my other ones are just suffering a whole lot. I don't really know what to do but, to pass the time, I hope you guys read my other fanfics and support them so that you don't get bored of waiting for this one to be updated, 'kay? Thank you and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_Saved on my soft brow,_

_I send the memories in my palm far away,_

_An eternal farewell as I keep strumming…_

_Clinging to a gentle hand_

_is the heart of a child…_

_The blazing wheels,_

_Cast them off and continue on_

* * *

~The Fourth Dawn~

_Slam!_

"What's the meaning of this?" Sakura asked, running over to her mother. "Me being taught by the _Akatsuki_? Is this some kind of a _joke_?"

"Sakura—"

"I can't _believe_ you could even _suggest_ such a thing! I'm a _Konoha_ kunoichi, for crying out loud! It's unacceptable! How could you expect me to obey such orders?"

"Sakura, listen to me. Your father—"

Sakura scoffed, but her scoff sounded more like a dry laugh. "So Papa is _also_ involved in this too? I should've known… Where is he? I want to speak with him!"

"Sakura, you know you can't speak with him…" Konan said. "He—"

"He's _crippled_, and he can't take the stress?" Sakura asked, scornfully. "I don't believe it. If he were _really_ crippled then how could _you_ be pregnant?"

"That . . . that matter . . ." Konan said, surprise clearing written on her face. "How did you find out about it?"

"Does that matter? Does it _really_ matter where I heard it from?" Sakura countered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "More importantly . . . why won't you answer my question? Papa's _crippled_… How could you be—"

"The child's his, _yes_… But . . ." Konan caressed her stomach. The words didn't come to her easily. How could she explain it to her daughter without hurting her so? She didn't know, and she couldn't think of a quick enough answer. "But . . . the child's _genes_… They're from a different body…"

Sakura's eyes widened. It took her a while to regain herself. What had just…? Did her mother just _say_ that…? She couldn't believe it. And when she _did_ regain herself, some strong burning sensation boiled up in her body.

She scoffed, trying to control herself. "A different _body_?" She laughed but only because she would have gone hysterical if she didn't. "You were that _desperate_…? I can't _believe_ this… I really can't!"

"Sakura…"

"How _could_ you!" Sakura couldn't take it anymore. That pitiful look on her mother's face… It was disgusting! She shook her head furiously. "You . . . and Papa… I don't . . . I don't understand! How could you two…? I really can't . . ." She couldn't finish her sentences. She was just too shocked.

"Sakura, please _listen_ to me." Konan pleaded. "Like you, we've also lost our teammate. But unlike you, we have no chance of _ever_ getting him back. He . . . he had always wanted kids…" She smiled a bit at the memory, but her smile only lasted for seconds. "Your father is crippled, and Yahiko was my first love, so . . ."

Sakura shook her head once more but this time slowly. When she heard her mother's answer, she felt a pang in her chest, and her heart ached. "Those reasons… I can understand them for only so much," she said. Her eyes became watery. "But . . . I still can't…" She shook her head, trying to get rid of the tears.

"Sakura…"

"Mama, for those reasons . . ." Sakura almost hesitated before asking, "Would . . . would that child mean more to you than I do?"

Konan's eyes widened by a small bit. She hadn't expected that. "Sakura . . . what do you mean by that? I—"

"I _mean_ . . . if you were to choose only _one_ to save . . . in a situation that would cause death to your children . . . who would you save? Me or that child, who would you choose?"

Konan didn't really know what to say, but she knew she couldn't waste any time thinking of her answer lest she hurt Sakura once more. She took a deep breath. ". . . I'd save this child."

Sakura's breath stilled, her glare and anger both replaced by shock and an indescribable amount of sorrow.

Konan took her daughter's hands. "But Sakura, I—"

But Sakura had heard enough. She recoiled once she felt her mother's touch and ran out of the room, trying to wipe away her tears.

Konan just stood, unmoving. When Sakura had recoiled from her touch, she felt as though she had been shocked by lightning. Tears also fell from her eyes. "I'd save my unborn child . . . but Sakura, if you were to die, I would go with you…"

"Well, well . . . I had expected as much to happen."

Konan's head whipped around to glare at the man. "_Madara_…" she snarled. "What do you want?"

"Nothing really… But you shouldn't continue to hurt your daughter so… One would think such events would cause her to lose her mind."

Konan narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Simply that, my dear." Madara chuckled. "A child, deprived of her parents' company and love, and then forced to take on a sibling… It's such a sad thing, really . . . especially when that child is a girl. After all, girls are much more fragile. They tend to . . . _snap_ easier than boys. I'm afraid that if you continue to put dear Sakura under so much stress then you'd be giving me what I'd want—a weapon that only _I_ could control."

"_What_?" Konan almost saw red. If she could, she would've _killed_ the man standing in front of her.

"A mindless woman is unable to control her actions. Plus, a heartless woman is always much crueler than a ruthless man. If Sakura were to become the weapon I have in mind then the Akatsuki will have no problem in achieving its goals."

"And you think Nagato and I will _stand_ for this?" Konan asked. "She's our daughter! We'll _never_—"

"_Daughter_, you say? Well, I think Sakura-chan sees it a bit differently now."

"Don't push it… A mother and child will have countless of quarrels, but their bond is something you will _never_ understand." And with that, Konan left the room. She would _never_ let Sakura fall into Madara's hands, not as long as she lived.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Konan walked into the room, her eyes widened as she eyed her daughter, sitting on the bed—her head continuously knocked against the pole of her canopy bed; a glassy look in her eyes as she just kept staring at thin air, not even noticing her mother.

"Sakura, stop that! You'll hurt yourself!" Konan yelled as she ran over to her daughter. She put her hands on Sakura's shoulders, but she still wouldn't stop knocking her head on the wooden pole. And so, Konan placed her hand on the spot where Sakura kept ramming her skull against the hard surface.

It worked. The kunoichi stopped her foolishness but kept her unfocused gaze.

"Sakura . . . _why_…?" Konan couldn't find the words. She felt something in her die when she saw her daughter hurt herself so. "Sakura…" She still couldn't find the right words to say.

And Sakura wouldn't give her the time. She slapped away her mother's hands. "Don't touch me."

"My child… What—"

"Get out of my room…" Sakura said, not even sparing a glance towards her mother. "I don't want to talk to you… Get out. _Get out_! GET OUT!"

"My child… What's the matter, _huh_? Why would you hurt yourself like that?"

"Do you even _care_?" Sakura asked, her gaze turned into a watery glare. "Would you even care if I were to kill myself?"

"Sakura, you're _my_ daughter—my _child_! Of course, I—"

"So is the being in your stomach…" Sakura said, her glare lowered to her mother's belly. "That unborn child…" She brought her gaze back up to her mother's face. "Is that child more important to you than I am?"

"Sakura, why would you even _think_ that?" Konan asked. "Both of you are my _children_! Why would I love one more than the other?"

"Because that child is the fruit of your first lover…"

Konan's eyes widened. Since when did her daughter become so smart? So observant?

"Why won't you answer me?" Sakura asked, a tear flowed down her face. "Is that child—that unborn child—more important to you than I am?"

"_Sakura_…"

The Konoha kunoichi turned her face away from her mother. "From the looks of it…"—she wiped the tears from her face—"It would appear that I'm correct, aren't I? After all, you'd save that child and not me…"

Konan just stared at her daughter. She didn't know what to say or even how to comfort the teenager in front of her. "Sakura . . . it's not like that… I—"

"Fine… Then let me ask you this once more." Sakura turned back to glare at her mother. "If you were to choose only one to save . . . me or that child . . . who would you save?"

"Sakura… Don't be like this… I—"

"ANSWER ME!" Sakura screamed. "That child . . . would you choose it over me?"

Konan just stared at her daughter. "Sakura, my sweet daughter… You need to look at things from my point of view… This baby is unable to protect itself. You, on the other hand, are. I need to protect the one I think will have the least chance of surviving to give me just a shred of hope. Can't you understand that…?"

Sakura sniffled back her tears. ". . . In my ears, it just sounds like you're saying that you love this child more than you ever loved me…"

"Sakura…" Konan had no idea how to counter her daughter's way of thinking.

"Fine…" the kunoichi said. "I'll leave then… I won't bother you ever again…"

"_Sakura_…!" Konan pleaded. "Don't do this! Please!"

"Congratulations on the child… I wish it all the best. It'll need it." Sakura swung her legs onto her bed and covered herself with a blanket. She curled herself into a ball and just waited for Konan to leave.

She heard her mother sigh. "Very well then… I'll have Itachi escort you back to Konoha's outskirts first thing in the morning…"

Sakura heard her mother's footsteps. The door opened and closed.

The kunoichi cried into her pillow. How long had it been since she had cried that much? Perhaps when Sasuke had left… No, it wasn't nearly as bad as this… Her tears could've filled the ocean by the first five seconds. But after that, Sakura lost track of the time. She could've been crying for years, days, hours, or even seconds. She felt so horrid, her mind seemed so hazy…

She heard the door open again, and she stopped her loud wails.

"I thought I said—" She gasped. It wasn't her mother there. She had thought it was Sasuke, but no… "_Itachi_…" she snarled. "What do you want _now_? Are you going to try and _kill_ me? Or is it morning already and you're here to take me back to Konoha?"

"No… I came to speak with you…"

Sakura just stared at the Uchiha. She scanned him over for any hidden weapons or just the façade of truth on his face. She couldn't tell… Her head was pounding so hard…

"What is it you want to say?" she asked, just wanting him out of her room. Just his presence reminded her of Sasuke…

"You and your mother are flesh and blood," he said. "She's always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you feel like you hate her now, you shouldn't waste your time fighting her… You'll regret it later on…"

Sakura scoffed, thinking over the Uchiha's words. She scoffed once more after finding how hypocritical they sounded. She laughed. "And _this_ . . . this is coming from the man who _killed_ his clan?" She couldn't believe he was the one lecturing her. She laughed once more.

"Think what you will of it, but heed my words… Take it from someone who's gone through it. You'll grow to hate yourself if you choose to continue to bear any ill will towards your parents . . . especially your mother."

Sakura's eyes shot to a corner. Looking back, she had only let her anger get the better of her. She didn't even listen to her mother—she didn't even let the woman speak for more than a _minute_. The more she thought of it, the more ashamed she became of herself.

"I see you're finally listening to me…" Itachi said, a smirk almost coming onto his face. He turned to leave, but then stopped. "Ah, one more thing… You've seen what's happened between my brother and I… Don't let that same thing happen to you and your mother…"

And that was all the push Sakura needed to run out of her room.

Itachi smirked at the girl's antics. Perhaps she wasn't that bad, after all…

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura was already down the hall. She looked around for her mother, turning her head quickly. She took the path to the right and ran down its hallway. Tears had come out already. She needed to make her feelings known. It was on the fourth turn when she saw her mother's back.

"Mama!" she yelled.

Konan turned around, seeing her daughter run towards her. Her eyes widened. She bent her knees a bit so that her eyes were leveled with Sakura's. She placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"I don't want our relationship to be estranged…" Sakura cried after regaining her breath. "I don't want that, but I just don't understand… Why do I have to feel bitter towards you and Papa? Why do I have to feel jealous over a child that didn't even have a chance to breathe yet? Why do I always feel like this every time I speak with you?" Sakura asked. "I don't want to end up like Sasuke-kun, Mama… I don't want to end up hating you and Papa… I don't want to end up hating the baby… But I can't help but feel this way…"

"Sakura…"

"I'm not the one who's bad, Mama… It's you and Papa who are the bad guys… Because of you two, I can't accept this child as my baby sibling… Because of you two, I feel this way… Because of you two, I'm like this…" She started slapping her mother's chest with no strength whatsoever, making sure she didn't hit her mother's growing stomach. "You're the ones who made me like this…! Because of you . . . because of you…!"

"Sakura…" Konan threw her daughter into a hug. "I'm so sorry…"

"Mama…" Sakura couldn't stop her tears. She returned the gesture. How long had it been since she had been in her mother's embrace?

"Yes, it's my fault…" Konan said. "I've neglected to see how lonely you've been… I didn't see what I was turning you into… A child deprived of a mother's love, I know how that feels… It was wrong of me to do so… Forgive your mother, child… She's _so_ sorry…"

"Mama…" Sakura cried.

"I promise . . . I'll be a better mother to you… I'll work harder on that… I won't let you fall into darkness… I love you, you know that, right? Your father and I love you so much… You're our pride and joy… You have to know that… We love you so much…"

Sakura still cried. How long had she wanted to hear those words?

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

In the distance, the Akatsuki members just watched on. Itachi smiled at the sight. Deidara and Kakuzu looked away, a bit teary-eyed. Kisame had to wipe away a stray tear. Zetsu just scoffed, "Man, girls are so troublesome… They're always so dramatic…" while Hidan complained, "Why did they have to make it so hard on themselves?"

Tobi just clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Yay! A happy ending! Tobi's happy now, too!" However, he actually despised "_happy endings_." And this one was putting a dent into his plans.

"Come on, you guys. We best get some rest." Kisame said. "We'll have a lot on our hands now that we have the girl to train."

"Wait, _what_? She's _staying_?" Hidan asked.

"Yeah…" Deidara threw his arms back, folding them behind his head. "Why did we get stuck with her, un?"

"Just make sure Leader-sama doesn't hear that or he'll have your head!" Kakuzu said.

"Enough," Itachi snapped. "We have a full day tomorrow."

"Yep, day one of training starts tomorrow."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura looked into the mirror. Was that really _her_? She spun herself around. The girl in the mirror followed. Hm… Maybe it _was_ her.

Konan laughed. "I take it you like the kimono."

Sakura smiled. "Not like…" she replied. "I love it, Mama!"

Konan also smiled. "I'm glad you do. It was your grandmother's. It's actually one of the only things I have left of her. I used it as sleepwear. I hope you take care of it."

"Oh, I will!" Sakura said, looking into the mirror once more. With her right hand, she took the left sleeve and rubbed the silk in between her second and middle fingers. It was so soft…

"I have other clothes in my closet if you want."

"_Really_?" Sakura asked. If it had been Ino offering, she would have been out the door already. But the fact that it was her mother showering her with just hand-me-downs . . . Sakura didn't know why, but she was really happy—the happiest she had been in the years since Sasuke had left…

Konan nodded her head. She caressed Sakura's cheek. "I'm glad that you didn't receive any of your father's horrid traits… You don't really look like me either, but I'm happy about that, too. Sometimes I even wonder how we ever ended up with a daughter that looked so much like Tsunade."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good because, if you looked any more like your father or me, you'd be really ugly."

Sakura giggled. "You think I'm pretty?"

"The prettiest." And she went to look for some more clothes.

Once her mother wasn't looking, Sakura looked into the mirror again. Her smile fell. Everything about her now . . . it was a bit different from what she was used to. What would her friends in Konoha say once they found out she was fraternizing with the enemies? In fact, would Naruto even recognize her?

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"WHAT DO YOU _MEAN_ THEY CAN'T FIND HER?"

"Naruto, calm down. The ANBU—"

"Tsunade-sama, please let us go and look for her!"

"Yes, please let us go find Sakura-san and bring her home!" Lee seconded Ino's plea.

Right after Tsunade had sent Shizune's team out on Sakura's rescue mission, both Ino and Naruto had raced across the village. They had started out only telling their friends in Konoha 11 about Sakura's disappearance but, once everyone knew, they went around the village, finding shinobi in the village and asking them to stop on their up-coming missions to see if Sakura or any of the Akatsuki were around the area. And if that wasn't enough, Temari had also been in the village around that time, and she went back home to alert Suna of Sakura's disappearance. Sakura's disappearance was as big an issue as Sasuke's leaving the village, perhaps even _bigger_.

"You _know_ why I can't do that!" Tsunade said. "Sakura may be my apprentice, but I also have to think about what's best for the village! If I send all of you out at once then who will stay back and protect Konoha?"

"Well, if you are so troubled," Hinata suggested, "then please . . . send my team…! We're specialized in tracking, so . . ."

"I can't do that either, Hinata. I already have _three_ ANBU squads out there _looking_ for her. It won't do Konoha any good if I send any more shinobi especially the Hyuga clan's heir."

"Then send _me_, Obaachan!" Naruto suggested for the hundredth time.

"Naruto, I've already _told_ you! I can't _risk_ sending you, a jinchūriki, to the Akatsuki!" Tsunade said, exasperated. "Besides, it's only been _one_ day. Maybe tomorrow—"

"But Sakura-chan could be _dead_ by tomorrow!" Naruto argued. "Obaachan, if you really care about her—"

"Don't you _dare_ insinuate that I don't care about my apprentice!" Tsunade yelled. "I care about her as I cared about my brother, maybe even more! I haven't even sent her on _one_ damn mission after she came back from your failed attempt to bring Sasuke back because I _knew_ how close I was to losing her. Now that she's out _there_ . . . in the _Akatsuki's_ hands . . . I'd rather have her back at Orochimaru's hideout fighting _against_ Sasuke!"

"Lady Tsunade…" Ino sighed. _Sakura . . . are you alright? We're all so worried… Where are you?_

✿｡.:***The Next Day***:.｡✿

"Your training begins today. Everyday starting from today, you will train with me from this same time till another Akatsuki member comes to pick you up for their training session." Itachi explained. "I hear that you have a talent in genjutsu, but know that talent is not enough and know that I will _not_ go easy on you. You will train hard and rigorously. Is that understood?"

"Crystal clear." Sakura answered, a smile on her face. "So . . . when will you release this genjutsu?"

Itachi smirked. "Very good. You've managed to detect one of my strongest genjutsu. I see your skills aren't just rumors…"

Suddenly, they were in a forest.

"It's your parents' wishes that you learn how to fight against the sharingan," Itachi said. "And actually, it's also my wish."

Now that had Sakura lost. "Wh-_what_…?" she asked. Did she just hear _correctly_? Did Itachi, also a _wielder_ of the sharingan, say that he wanted Sakura to know its weakness?

"Sakura, you used to be my brother's teammate. As such, I believe that you and Naruto-kun are the only people that can bring him back to his senses. But to do so, you'll need to defeat him and, if necessary, beat him up. However, you cannot do so unless you have knowledge of how the sharingan works."

Sakura just stayed quiet. She had thought Itachi wanted to kill Sasuke, so what was up with his attitude right now? Something was off, _really_ off.

"So get ready! I'll start you off with a lighter version of the Tsukuyomi!"

Before she could protest, Sakura found herself in a black world. She wasn't scared really, just . . . _unnerved_. She knew Itachi wouldn't _really_ kill her… Or _would_ he?

Suddenly, she was surrounded by a million copies of the older Uchiha. _And here I thought _one_ was bad enough._

"Don't get cocky," Itachi said. "Anything you think, I _can_ hear it."

_Shit…_

"Mind your words, girl."

One of his clones lashes out, but Sakura jumped back. However, two other clones grabbed her arm then. She struggled to free herself. "My chakra…!"

"There's no chakra in this world. You'll have to fight on your own strength." One of the Itachi walked closer to Sakura, a sword in hand. And when that clone was ready to stab Sakura through the stomach…

"DON'T YOU _DARE_!" Another Sakura appeared with the characters "内なるサクラ" on her forehead. And apparently . . . she was _HUGE_! She grabbed one of the Itachi-clones (which later turned out to be the real one) and began to squish him. "Just because the other me allowed the other Uchiha to walk all over her doesn't mean _I'm_ gonna be as easy to deal with! Now either walk on out of my world or be punched into next month! _SHANNARO_!"

And in the next second, Sakura found herself back in her world. Although she had beaten the genjutsu, she was tired. _And he calls that a _lighter_ Tsukuyomi? Gee, I'd like to see what he calls _hard_!_

"Hn… It would seem that you _do_ have talent, Haruno. Very well. You will be my student. I expect many things from you, and I better not be disappointed."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Okay, so I get you after Itachi's finished with you, hm. I'll tell you this much: my class is just a learning, not much physical things to do here. You just need to remember things, _yeah_." Deidara said. "After a while, I will have you identify the bombs and have you make them. And I will make you run through a course and not set off a single bomb. You only have one shot at it, got it, un?"

"Right…" Sakura said.

"Good, we start right away." Deidara said as he took out two similar looking bombs. "These are sensor bombs, but they're two different kinds, un. This one"—he shook the one in his left hand—"only activates when you step _on_ it, but this one, yeah"—he shook the one in his right hand—"activates after you step _off_ it, got it, un?"

Sakura nodded her head. "But they look so similar… How do I tell them apart?"

"I'm getting there! Be patient for once, yeah!"

"Oy, _Deidei-kun_~!" Tobi came then.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU _NOT_ TO CALL ME THAT!"

Sakura giggled at the two's antics. It would seem that she wouldn't lose the aspect of a "_heated_" argument, no matter where she went.

"Girl, why are you laughing, un? You're supposed to be studying!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Okay, so . . . now that you've gone through all the members and what nonsense they're going to teach you, at the end of the day, I'm the one stuck with a tired you. However, I won't take that, got that? I expect you to still be on your toes and wide awake." Kisame said, pacing around the kunoichi. "In _my_ class, you're going to be going through a rigorous training session. I admit that I wanted to put you through my old village's tradition, but Leader-sama has forbidden it. However, it doesn't mean I won't go hard on you. It only means we've got to find a different way to train. And by the end of our sessions, you will have not only heightened senses but also the abilities to be able to absorb your opponent's and—"

"_Eh_ . . ." Sakura raised her hand.

"_Yes_? You have a question?"

"Exactly . . . how _are_ you going to train me to be able to absorb chakra?" Sakura asked.

"It's a surprise."

"Oh…" _Well, _that_ doesn't really sound good…_

"Oh, and by the way, you didn't let me finish my sentence. Not only will you be learning how to absorb chakra, but I'll also teach you how to fight using the sword."

"_What_?" Sakura asked, her eyes widening. "Sw-_sword-fighting_? Are you kidding me?"

"Why would I kid around?" He pointed his Samehada at Sakura. "Look, here, _Pinkie_! I won't have you be shown up by that Orochimaru's apprentice even if he _is_ an Uchiha and Itachi's brother! I'm going to train you, and you're going to make me proud, you got that?"

"Ye-yes, sir!" The last thing she wanted was trouble but, at the mention of her ex-teammate, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. She was so close to death that day… But if Sasuke _hadn't_ tried to kill her then her father wouldn't have kidnapped her from home. And if she _hadn't_ been kidnapped then she and her mother wouldn't have made up and she wouldn't be here training with the Akatsuki. Hm, it would appear a "_thank you_" was in order.

. . .

. . .

. . .

_But then again he _did_ leave me on that bench, so maybe I don't have to thank him, after all…_

* * *

**Whoo-hoo! And it's done! Wow, this is the longest chapter I have up so far! Hm, I'm thinking maybe three more chapters and then this fanfic will be finished… Oh, and you guys, I made a two-shot. It's called 영원한사랑& 여성시대, and it completely bashes the _Naruto_ manga somewhat. Please check it out when you have the time, 'kay? Thank you and please review!**


	5. 5th Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yay! I was able to put up a new chapter! Yay! Oh, and just so you guys know, there's a time skip from the last chapter to this one, kay? I was trying to incorporate Sakura's feelings for Sasuke in this one since it's a SasuSaku fanfic and all, but it's hard for me to do so _especially_ with what I have planned out… Stay with me, okay peoples? This _will be_ SasuSaku! It's just that Sasuke's a bit . . . _slow_ at coming into this story, okay? But he is _mentioned _in this chapter! So . . . yeah. Thank you and please enjoy!**

* * *

_I'm playing the grief of someone,_

_who's passed on, on this guitar_

_The strings in my heart_

_are being plucked at violently_

* * *

~The Fifth Dawn~

Sakura crouched down. She had to be careful. One wrong move, and she'd be dead. She held back a pained "_itai_" and quickly looked down. Her knee had hit itself against a bomb. _Shit… And it just _had_ to be the one that explodes _after_ I lift my knee up… _She looked around, trying to find something heavy. And by her other knee was a nice huge rock. She smiled, picking the rock up and shifting it onto the bomb as she slowly stood up. A huge mistake on her part.

"Water Style: Exploding Water Shock Wave!"

Sakura gasped as she saw the tidal wave coming straight for her. Focusing all of her chakra into her legs, Sakura leaped fifty feet into the air. However, she wasn't safe _yet_. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Deidara on his clay bird flying towards her. And so, she did a flip and brought her leg down on the Akatsuki member. Deidara dodged her attack, but his bird paid the price as it fell to its watery grave.

And with a _poof_, Sakura disappeared.

"A shadow clone?" Kisame asked.

"Yep!" And suddenly, a sword was brought up to his neck. "So . . . how did I do, Fish-skin no sensei?"

"Heh, not bad, not bad . . . but—" _Poof!_ And after that clone disappeared, there was this rapid beeping sound.

Sakura looked down and cursed under her breath as she jumped backwards from the explosion. Dusting the dust from her skirt, she cursed once more. She looked up, trying to find her opponents. _No one in sight… And I can't run around, so… _"_SHANNARO_!" She punched the ground, causing a massive earthquake and setting off every single bomb within the area.

There was a large amount of coughing and, once the dust had cleared, Deidara and Kisame could be seen on the ground.

"Hey, hey! I thought I told you that the rule for this test was to _not_ set off _any_ of the bombs, un! But you go and set off _all_ of them, huh?" the blonde asked. "Some prodigy, you are…"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Ino #2!"

"Hey… When are you going to stop calling me that, un?"

"When I feel like it, _duh_!"

"_Enough already_," Kisame said, standing up. "Everyone is going to be wondering about that explosion, and I don't need Leader-sama worrying about his daughter getting her pretty little head blown off of her body, so let's head back."

"_Aw_…" Sakura pouted. "And just when I was having _fun_… But anyhow, how did I do?"

"Well, considering that you didn't use anything we taught you or anything the other members taught you, I'd consider this a job well done."

Sakura smiled. So her three months of training really did pay off… In the beginning, she couldn't even fight off _one_ of the Akatsuki, let alone two. So now that she could . . . mission accomplished!

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Naruto sighed as he laid himself on the ground. _Three months… It's been three months since she disappeared… The ANBU haven't even found her trail yet… Sakura… Where are you? Are you alright?_

"_Anoo_ . . . Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah, Hinata-chan?" Ever since Team Kakashi was short on a teammate, Hinata had volunteered to fill the position. Naruto was grateful to her. If she hadn't done so then he wouldn't have been able to leave the village on missions (in which he would _sometimes_ stray away to look for any sign of Sakura, the Akatsuki, or Sasuke).

"You don't have to worry about Sakura-san…" the Hyuga heiress said. "She's very strong… She'll be able to protect herself…"

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, I know, Hinata-chan…" He closed his eyes, feeling the breeze against his skin. And when he opened them, he sighed. "How's Ino doing these days?"

"She's okay… Sai's accompanying her at the shop, but she's been really down—most likely because of Asuma-sensei's death…"

"Yeah…" Naruto sighed again. The man sure had picked a really bad time to die. Ino needed the comfort. After all, Sakura was her best friend. To Ino, losing Sakura was just painful. Plus, the fact that Sakura still wasn't found and that a ransom hadn't been placed…

Another sigh. "Let's go and train again, Hinata."

"O-okay…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the Akatsuki members. She wouldn't lose, she _never_ lost. And victory this time would be sweeter too. She threw her cards onto the table. "_Ha_! Read 'em and weep!"

Deidara slammed his fist onto the table. "_Aw_, _again_, un?"

"Dammit, Pinkie! Don't you think you should give us a break?" Zetsu asked, the black side cursed while the white side had asked the question.

"_Nope_!" Sakura giggled as she collected all of the money. After Hidan and Kakuzu's deaths, she had supposedly taken up the position as Akatsuki's accountant. And apparently, all of _Akatsuki's_ money became _her_ money because they just _loved_ gambling it all away just like Tsunade.

"_Wow_!" Tobi clapped his hand. "This is the hundredth time Sakura-chan has won! Tobi is proud of his god-daughter!"

"Arigato, God-dad." And for some apparent reason, Tobi had just become her god-dad. Her parents said nothing about it, but she knew they didn't like it. For what reason, she didn't know.

"Well, see ya later!" she said. "I gotta go see Mama."

"_What_? No rematch this time?" Zetsu asked.

"Sorry, but I'm a bit late. Got to make sure the baby's fine."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"You guys tricked me! I thought you called me here to talk or something!"

"We _are_ talking, sweetie." Pein said.

"Yes, we are, but I'd prefer we talk about something _other_ than me going on a mission! Not only that but, this time, why do you have to call Itachi and Kisame to _'protect'_ me? They're not _protectors_—they're a _danger_ to _all_ of human society!"

Itachi rolled his eyes at the girl's comments._ She has spunk, I'll give her that much… Sasuke, you better treat her well…_

"Hey, Pinkie, don't you think that's kind of _rude_?" Kisame asked. "I mean, your father and mother are _also_ a danger to humanity. Why are _we_ the only ones being accused?"

Konan ignored Kisame and walked over to her daughter, one hand on her large stomach. "Think about it, sweetie. If anything happens, you can hide behind them so that, even if someone shoots some kind of strong jutsu at them, at least _you'll_ be alright." She patted her daughter on the head.

_What are we? Shields? _Kisame and Itachi thought.

Sakura pouted in defeat. "Well . . . I guess you have a point there."

"Also, one more thing." Pein said. "I don't think you two will be a problem. _However_, these are the conditions you two will have to follow during this mission. You're forbidden to touch Sakura's clothes, body, or hair. You're forbidden to utter any comments that could be considered as an improper advance towards her. Furthermore, you're forbidden to smell her scent, steal her things, and have improper thoughts about her. You're also forbidden to enter her room. If you have no choice but to touch her then you are required to wear gloves. Lastly, do not get one scratch on her even at the cost of your own _life_. Understood?"

"H-hai…"

Sakura crossed her arms and huffed. _Well, at least, I'll be getting some fresh air… _"Is that all?"

"No, actually, I have something to add." Konan said. "Darling, your ex-teammate has killed his sensei. Orochimaru is dead."

"_What_?"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"For real?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya nodded his head. "It's definitely true. My most reliable sources confirmed it."

Naruto smiled, throwing his arms back. "I knew that _freak_ wouldn't be able to take Sasuke down!" he laughed. "So . . . Sasuke's coming back to the village now, right?"

Tsunade sighed, and Naruto's smile fell.

"It doesn't look like it."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Sakura sighed, twisting her fork in her noodles. _Of all things to have happened… Why so soon? It'll only mean that he'll just come after his brother…_ She glanced at the Uchiha sitting across from her then back down at her meal. _And once he does, he'll—_

"Hey, Pinkie, you okay?" Kisame asked. "You haven't even _touched_ your food, and it's your favorite! Usually you'd be pigging out by now! Is it too hot or stuffy in that cloak of yours? Are you sick or something?"

"Oh, no… I'm just . . . just not that hungry…"

But Itachi knew it was more than that. "Stop worrying. I know what's coming, and I embrace it. You shouldn't be so upset. Things come and go, even people do. You're a medical nin, you should know that by now."

"But! _Itachi-kun_—"

"_What_? You're not calling him _'Weasel-chan' _now?" Kisame chuckled. "Wow, you must really be worried then."

"How can I _not_ be?" Sakura asked, pouting a bit. "He's not a bad guy once you get to know him, and . . ." The rest of her sentence trailed off into mumbles.

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that." Kisame said as he cupped his hand around his ear. "_What_ did you say?"

"I said, _'And I don't like the fact that' _. . ." Again her sentence trailed into incoherent mutters.

"_What_?" Kisame grinned as he leaned closer to the girl. "Speak louder!"

"I said, _'And I don't like the fact that he and Sasuke will be fighting!'_" Sakura practically yelled that.

"_Oh_…" Kisame sat back down in his seat, arms crossed and a smile on his face. He was completely satisfied. "And here I thought you said something _else_…" he chuckled.

The kunoichi ignored the swordsman's remarks. "I just don't think it's right…" she said, stirring her soup with the spoon she held in her hand. "Brother against brother… It just isn't…"

Kisame chuckled. "Well, a lot of things in this world isn't right, but if everything were to _be_ right then we wouldn't really fit in with the crowd, you know?"

"You already don't fit in."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! Look…" Kisame said, trying to reason with the Konoha kunoichi. "Itachi has planned this out for a few _years_ already—your ex-teammate too… Nothing you say will change anything. You'll just have to face facts. You need to know this. This is the _real_ world—it's not your little playground, Pinkie. Good things will happen, but so will bad things. Just because you _want_ something to happen doesn't mean it _will_. I think you already got the full gist of it before."

"_Yeah_…" Sakura's eyes drifted downward. Of course, she knew that… As Kisame had said, she did get the full gist of it before—and it was more than _once_. When her parents had left her in Konoha, of course, she was against it. She wanted to go with them—she wanted to be with them. But of course, they still left her there. Then there was when Sasuke left… Nothing she said had made any difference—the only difference was that she had delayed him which really wasn't _anything_ in _anyone's_ book. And then when she wanted to become stronger, it didn't come to her as a birth right nor as a reward for her hard training. No, it came because she was _kidnapped_—okay, not _kidnapped_ but you all get the idea—and _forced_ to speak with her parents.

But then again, if that hadn't had happened then she and her parents wouldn't be on such good terms now, would they? Plus, Sakura herself was getting a new baby brother or sister. That was something good, wasn't it? She'd have someone who'd look up to her, who'd be there at home waiting for her, who'd . . . take away her parents' love from her.

_No. _Sakura mentally slapped herself for thinking that way. A baby in the household—or evil lair, whatever you'd call it—wouldn't be anything but a bundle of joy _especially_ with the likes of the Akatsuki. They _need_ something to brighten the place up.

"_So_ . . ." Sakura said, forcing a smile onto her face and trying to forget about her recent thoughts. "What's this mission about?"

Kisame and Itachi exchanged glances. They'd never understand a girl's sudden mood changes.

"Well, as you know, your mother is getting close to her due date." Itachi said, eyeing Sakura suspiciously.

"Uh-_huh_…" Sakura nodded her head. "I'd say in about maybe four weeks tops…"

Kisame started choking then. "Four . . . four _weeks_?" he asked. "Yikes, and here I thought the little _brat_ was coming in two _months_."

"Eh . . . _no_…" Sakura said, looking at Kisame as if he had grown another head. "The _baby_ is coming out in maybe _less_ than _four weeks_, considering that this is my mother's third child."

"_Third_?" Kisame asked. "What happened to the second?"

"She miscarried a few weeks before she stuck me in Konoha."

"_Oh_…"

Sakura rested her head on her propped-up arm. "The baby was supposed to have turned ten next month. I wonder if they even remember…"

Itachi threw Kisame a death glare—one that would have been matched with the words, "You idiot! Learn to shut your mouth for once!" But of course, that would have been OOC for Itachi, and so he didn't say anything about the subject.

"So . . . anyway…" the Uchiha continued. "With your mother's due date just coming up in about a month or so, Leader-sama has instructed us to find a midwife just in case your mother goes into labor earlier than expected while you aren't around."

"_Oh_…" Sakura nodded her head once more. "I guess that makes sense… But does Papa have someone in mind? I mean, you can't just go knocking on random people's doors, asking for a—"

"Isaribi."

"I'm sorry. _What_?"

"Isaribi. The midwife's name is Isaribi."

"Yes, I know the midwife shall be a girl named Isaribi, but are we heading towards the Land of the Sea?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, but we won't be going there." Itachi answered. "The girl will meet us halfway."

"Oh, _really_?" Sakura smiled. "Yay! Now I'll have one of my friends to talk to!"

"_Oh_?" Kisame asked. "You know this Isaribi person?"

"She was one of my patients while I worked as a nurse at Konoha's hospital." Sakura explained. "Orochimaru had experimented on her, and Naruto had brought her back to the village after one of his missions. He asked Lady Tsunade to heal her, but I took care of it."

"Ah…" Kisame nodded his head. "What was the problem?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Didn't she mention it already?

"I meant, _besides_ from Orochimaru experimenting on her."

"Oh, well, she could turn into this sea monster, you know?"

". . . And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Sakura quickly said, trying to save herself from Kisame's temper. "It's just that . . . even in human form, she'd have some . . . _scales_, and people tend to not like that." She closed her eyes as she took a mouthful of noodles. "And"—but once she opened her eyes, she noticed something (or rather, someone) was missing—"_Anoo_ . . . where's Sharky-sempai?" she asked.

"Somewhere sulking."

"Ah."

And the two went back to eating.

Meanwhile, with the sulking Akatsuki member…

"Is that why I'm not popular with the girls?" he asked himself as he looked at his reflection—"_that_" referring to his skin color and shark-like appearance.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As the black-haired girl walked through the village, she smiled. People didn't seem to notice her anymore. That's just the way she liked it. Before when they _did_ notice her, they all had this look in their eyes—this strong hatred in their glares. It was a disgusting and horrible look, and she hated every one she got. She hadn't done anything wrong. She just met the wrong people, trusted the wrong people, and worked for the wrong people. But now . . . now with her new appearance, she could do something—something _more_, something to atone for her wrongdoings. This was the start of something new for her, and she'd start by being the midwife of—

"_WAH_! _WAH_!"

"Hey, look at this brat!"

"He's so _dirty_!"

"Don't get too close! Didn't you hear? Anyone who gets involved with him will _die_!"

"_Really_?"

"Yes, his parents were killed in a horrible accident, and anyone who associated with him after that all died in almost the same way!"

"Oh, god! Let's go then!"

The girl couldn't help but turn her attention to the crowd that was dispersing. Just _who_ were they talking about?

She walked towards the crowd's abhorrence but, as she got closer to the small boy, she realized he was no older than three or four. _He's certainly too young to take care of himself,_ she thought, noticing all the cuts and bruises on his arms and legs. _How could all those people just leave him like this?_

The boy kept on crying.

"Come now… Stop crying…"

He stopped when he noticed the girl. He screamed then, jumping back from her.

"Shh, shh…" the girl cooed, kneeing down on the floor. "I'm not going to hurt you. I know what you're going through. Daijōbu, I'm not a mean person. I just want to help you."

The boy stayed quiet, staring at the girl as if she were an alien.

"Come on now… I'm not going to hurt you…" She reached into her pocket and held out her hand. "_See_? You like candy, don't you?"

The boy still just stood there, looking at her strangely.

She sighed exasperatedly. "Look…" She unwrapped one and put it in her mouth. "_See_? It's really sweet. Don't you want one?"

The boy still looked at her, frozen in the same spot.

"You can take one if you want."

And in a few minutes, the boy ran over to her and took the candy, stuffing his mouth with sweets.

The girl smiled, patting the boy's head. "You must be really hungry. Do you want to travel with me?" she asked. "I'm going to work for some people, but you'll still get food, and I'll make sure you're alright. I'll take care of you, okay?"

The boy nodded his head vigorously.

"Good." The girl stood up and held the boy's hand. "By the way, my name's Isaribi. What's yours?"

" Me . . . Bo . . . Bo . . . tan… Botan… Me Botan…"

Isaribi smiled at him. "Well, first things first. I'm going to teach you how to speak correctly."

And so correction: This was the start of something new for Isaribi, and she'd start by taking Botan into her care.

* * *

**Anoo = um**

**Arigato = thank you**

**Daijōbu = don't worry**

**Itai = ow; ouch**

**Whew! This chapter is finished. Thank god! I was thinking I'd never get to finish this with everything that's going on now. You know I was put in a _wheelchair_ for like maybe half an hour because of my lower back pain? It was _hor-ri-ble_! Now I have to get tests done and stuff, but don't worry! I can still walk and do fanfics! So . . . yeah…**

**Oh, and when Konan had told Sakura about Orochimaru's death, the conversation before that was based off of a conversation from the manga _Count Cain_ or _Godchild_.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review!**


	6. 6th Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yay! A new chapter and, after this one, there's most likely going to be three more chapters at the most! So for SasuSaku fans, Sasuke is coming pretty soon! And for Itachi fans, sorry but he's . . . well, you know… Oh, and yes, there's another time skip in this chapter from the last. But don't worry, peoples! This time, it's a really _small_ time skip! I'm just trying to fit everything in, kay? Also, if I don't type up some important stuff (like Pein and Konan's battle with Jiraiya and Deidara's death), I'm just assuming you guys know because I _know_ you all read the manga. You'll see that I'll skip a whole lot of things from the original manga, but they will be mentioned in the author's notes, kay?**

**Also, SPOILER ALERT: there is going to be some _major_ ItaSaku moments in this chapter, okay? Sorry, SasuSaku fans, but what's a _Sakura-in-Akatsuki _story without some ItaSaku moments, huh?**

**Thank you and please enjoy!**

* * *

_In the pure white unstained by sorrow,_

_The orange petals are stirred_

_In a summer shadow_

_Even if my soft brow is lost,_

_I'll cross over the far off, red-stained sand_

* * *

~The Sixth Dawn~

As Naruto and company jumped through the high trees, they followed Kakashi in silence. The stakes were high, very high. In fact, if things pull through then Naruto could have both his teammates back by his side and some of the Akatsuki members could be taken out. So yes, the stakes were very much high.

Hinata glanced over at the jinchūriki, her eyes turning soft. This was it. Naruto's three months of training (plus the two and half years) was for this… There was definitely no turning back at this point. It was either all or nothing. And subsequently, Hinata preferred to get Sakura _and_ Sasuke back in one fight . . . if possible. Jiraiya's death had come to Naruto as quite the shock, after all. He couldn't afford another loss of another one of his precious people.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Kisame sneered. He stared at the thing in disgust. He didn't it—he didn't like it, not even a _bit_. His sneer turned into a glower. He did not the thing sitting across the table, stuffing its mouth full of food. He did not like how the porridge would drip down out of the thing's mouth as if it were drool. And he did not like the look in the thing's eyes… It was just . . . just . . . just . . .

"Oh, come now, Sharky-sempai," Sakura said. "Botan's not _that_ bad."—she wiped the dripping porridge off of the boy's face with a moist towel—"He just needs to get used to living like this. After that, he can start learning some manners."

Kisame _hmp_ed and crossed his arms.

"And if you ask me, between you and Botan, _you're_ the more childish."

The swordsman ignored his pupil's comment and continued to sulk. He didn't understand. Why were the Heavens punishing him so?

Isaribi came into the room then, bowing her head to Sakura. "Fujin…"

"Enough of that, Isaribi," Sakura said. "You may serve and work for my family now, but that doesn't mean you need to treat me any differently or formally. We're still friends, and that comes first rather than position."

"I know," Isaribi said, a smile on her face, as she straightened herself. "It's just fun to see you so flustered."

Sakura scoffed at the girl's antics, laughing a bit in the process. "You really haven't changed. You still like to tease me so…"

"I daren't do so," Isaribi said, bowing her head again. "I came to bring you good news. The baby seems healthy, and so does your mother. They are both fine, and your mother has not shown any signs of a pre-mature pregnancy yet."

"_Really_? That's good to hear…" Sakura had been a bit worried. When her mother had returned with her father's other bodies from their fight with Jiraiya (may he rest in peace), Konan had been tired. Sakura didn't see any injuries, but it was good to check, just to be sure.

Kisame huffed. "I don't see what the big deal is. You can easily see that, Pinkie. Why did we have to hire some girl? I don't why we did that."

Sakura grimaced at Kisame before turning back to Isaribi and giving the girl a smile and a light squeeze on her hands. "Isaribi, you'll have your work cut out for you, but I have faith that you'll do a good job. But if anyone bullies you, you have to tell me right away, okay? A few of the Akatsuki members"—her eyes shifted to Kisame—"have not taken a liking to you yet. You must tell me if anyone bullies you. I'll stand up for you."

"My deepest gratitude for the advice, Fujin."

Sakura almost rolled her eyes at Isaribi's formality.

"But what if _you_ bully me, Fujin?" the girl asked. "What will you do? Will you stand up for me? Will you punish yourself?"

Sakura _tsk_ed. "Again you tease me?"

And the two girls broke out into giggles.

Kisame quickly threw his hands over his ears. "I'll _never_ have a day of quiet anymore…" he said to himself before glancing at Botan. "I'm just glad _you're_ not another annoying, giggling girl."

Botan gave him a toothy smile.

"Eh, don't get me wrong, kid. I still don't like you."

But Botan didn't listen to that. He just walked over to Isaribi, tugging on her dress. "Neechan…" he said, his voice still quiet since he had never talked much. "What's an '_another annoying, giggling girl_'?"

"_What_?" Isaribi asked, eyes wide at Botan's new vocabulary. "Where did you hear that?"

He pointed at Kisame. "Sharky-sempai."

"Oh-ho! So you think I'm annoying, don't you?" Sakura asked, hands on her hips.

"_No_!" Kisame feigned his distress. "You're just _pink_!"

"_WHAT_? Why, I'd oughta—"

"Sakura, how many times have I told you to watch your temper?"

"_Weasel-kun~_!" Sakura smiled, an idea popping into her head. She ran to him, faking tears. "Weasel-kun, Sharky-sempai is being mean to me!"

"_WHAT_?" Kisame roared. "Why, you little—"

Itachi patted the girl's head. "Now, now, you're under Kisame's tutelage. You must suck up anything that he throws at you, no matter how mean it may sound."

"Okay, Weasel-kun… I'll _try_…"

Kisame almost screamed. _Ooh, that girl… She'll be the death of me…_

Isaribi giggled at the exchange. "Wow… Even criminals treat you like a princess, Fujin."

"Isaribi! Stop calling me that!" Sakura was ready to turn red.

But Isaribi seemed to have not heard that. "Botan, don't you think we should call her _'Hime'_ then?"

"Don't you _dare_!" Sakura exclaimed, a bit of pink on her face.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Kisame replied. "Pinkie-hime! I like the sound of that!"

"_SHARKY-SEMPAI_! Weasel-kun, _do_ something!"

"I think _'Hime'_ is also appropriate."

"WEASEL_-KUN_!"

"Then it's settled! We'll call Fujin _'Hime'_ from now on."

"Isaribi, stop teasing me!"

"Hai, Fujin."

"Isaribi, for _real_! I'm getting angry!"

Isaribi bowed lower than ever before. "My deepest apologies, Fujin. I've made you angry. Please punish me."

"_ISARIBI_!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"How are you, Konan?"

"I'm fine, Nagato. Really, I am."

"That's good to hear…"

Konan smiled, caressing her stomach. "I'm sorry I've made you worry."

Pein sighed, unable to say another word on the matter.

"I have something to ask, Nagato. Actually, there are a few things I'm concerned about."

"What is it?"

"Firstly, about the Kyuubi boy and Konoha… Must we…?"

Pein sighed once more. "Konan, you know that . . . in order to reach our goal, we must obtain the Kyuubi."

"Yes, I know… But the Kyuubi boy . . . Naruto, he's Sakura's friend… How would she feel once she were to find out—"

"I don't expect her to forgive me."

Now it was Konan's turn to sigh. She hadn't expected Pein to change his mind, but still…

"But I do plan on finding a way to _not_ kill him in the process of extracting the Kyuubi from him."

Konan thought about it for a moment. It was better than nothing, and so she nodded her head.

"What else?"

"About Itachi's younger brother…"

"We knew it was about time that Sasuke would come after Itachi."

"It's not that," Konan said.

"Then what is it?"

She bit her bottom lip. Should she tell him?

"Konan?"

"Sakura… Our daughter… She . . . I'm _worried_ about her, Nagato." the woman said. "She . . . she still _loves_ him, Itachi's younger brother. I'm worried that, if she continues to do so, she'll be hurt again. I can't bear to see that, Nagato… I—"

"If they're meant to be then fate will play out despite our worries," Pein said. "Yes, it's fine for us to worry, but we needn't because she can take care of herself."

Konan smiled. She felt reassured. She was still worried, yes, but she was better than before.

"Oh, and another thing…"

"_Yes_?"

"Do you think Jiraiya—"

"He saw what was coming. He _knew_ it was coming. He bore no ill will against us during his last moments."

Konan nodded once more before turning to leave.

"Wait, I have a question of my own."

"_Yes_?" Konan asked, glancing back at her child's father.

"What shall you name the child?"

Konan glanced down at her stomach, smiling gently. "Shion… So that she won't cause her sister the trouble of being unable to save herself…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_What_? You're leaving _now_? But . . . but—"

"Gomennasai, Sakura, but I can't delay this any longer." Itachi said. "If I don't go then the team Sasuke has assembled will find me first. And if that happens, Sasuke will see that you're here. And do you think he'd be happy when he sees you talking to me as if we were the best of friends?"

Sakura crossed her arms, pouting in defeat. "_No_…" She felt a slight pang at her heart when Itachi mentioned Sasuke's "_team_" again. It was a blow to her and Naruto's pride. How could Sasuke even _do_ that? He knew that they were willing to help him (although her opinion was a bit different now), so how could he…?

"But _still_…" she continued, tears threatening to fall. "You'll . . . you'll go and see Deidara-kun and Hidan and Kakuzu…" She couldn't bring herself to say what she really meant.

"I'll tell them you said _'Hi_.'"

Sakura chuckled a small bit. "_No_, tell them I said that they're _idiots_ for leaving me behind."

Itachi smirked. "Of course."

"You too…"

"I know…"

Kisame sighed. He felt a little bad for Sakura but not entirely. _She _knew_ this was coming. It's her fault for not preparing herself…_ he forced himself to think that.

"Sakura, I want you to promise me something."

"Yes, Itachi-kun?"

"Heh, I'd like it better when you called me _'Weasel-kun_.'"

Sakura wiped away a stray tear. "Yes, Weasel-kun?" she corrected herself.

"Promise me that you'll take care of Sasuke for me after I go."

"I will, don't worry. I'll take good care of him." Sakura nodded her head, but her tears began pouring out of her eyes the moment Itachi said those last three words.

Itachi smiled a bit at her words, throwing her into a small embrace. "Everything is going to turn out for the best, you'll see…"

Sakura nodded her head. She didn't want to say good-bye, she really didn't. But did she have a choice?

She recoiled from his touch, pushing him gently towards the door. "Go… I can't bear to see you die… But I'll . . ."—she gave him a smile—"I'll send you off with a smile."

Itachi smiled back at her before turning to leave with Kisame. He was sure now. This girl was the right choice. His younger brother would surely be taken care of.

Meanwhile, in the dark shadow, Tobi watched on—a wicked smile behind his mask.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Konan sat down on her bed, she groaned. She glanced down at her stomach, placing a hand on it. The pain was tiny, but it was very sharp. _Not yet… Not just yet, Shion… Be patient, just a little bit longer…_

* * *

**Fujin = madam**

**Gomennasai = I'm sorry**

**Hime = princess**

**And this chapter is done! Yay! It's almost finished! Just three more chapters! Yay! Thank you for reading and please review, peoples!**


	7. 7th Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yay! A new chapter! And I'm so sorry, you guys, that it took _so long _to update this fanfic! I've been super busy, and I've been suspended from school because of my back injury, and so homeschooling and preparing for it has been really time-consuming. So, yeah, sorry again.**

**Also, I think there's only, like, two more chapters after this until this fanfic goes to its sequel. Also, I just want to point out that the _Naruto_ manga is really hard to find online now, so the events that go along with the original manga are going to be a bit off since I'm doing this story off of my memory now. So if anyone's confused, please say so in your review. Also, by this time in the fanfic, the only living members of the Akatsuki are Pein, Madara/Tobi, Konan, Zetsu, and Kisame.**

**I think this chapter has the most drama out of all the chapters in all of my fanfics. It's, like, my favorite one so far. Thank you and please enjoy!**

* * *

_The rhythm of farewell…_

_Branded into my memories,_

_On the ever-turning earth,_

_There is something sprouting in remembrance_

* * *

~The Seventh Dawn~

As Sakura walked through the fields, she couldn't help but sigh. It had been three days since Itachi had gone to fight Sasuke, two days since she heard about his… She shook her head. She still couldn't believe that her mentor, her _friend_, was dea—She still couldn't even bring herself to say those words. It had been a shock to her when she found out the Zombie Brothers had died. She almost _fainted_ when she heard that Deidara had gone, too. But when she heard that Itachi had . . . had passed away, she fell into a bad state of health. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep… She kept telling herself that she was only upset over Itachi's death, but she herself knew that there was more to it. She was worried—worried about her ex-teammate. She had told him revenge wouldn't make anyone happy. Now she knew the extent of those words, but did _he_?

She sighed again, looking up at the sky. The sun hid behind the clouds nowadays, and those clouds seemed so dark. Were they foreshadowing something? But even if they did, Sakura's main worry was only for Sasuke. Was he under a cold veil, too?

On that lonely field, she clasped her hands together, closing her eyes, and sang a melody of prayer. Would it reach him? She didn't know. All she wanted was for a little light to shine on him during these dark times. She remembered her promise to Itachi. She'd look after his brother.

But even if Itachi hadn't made her promise, she'd still do so because Sasuke was so dear to her, yet so far away… She wanted him to laugh like a child again… That was her wish—and probably Itachi's, too.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Konan sat, watching Botan play with the origami bird she made him. He was so cute. She glanced down at her stomach, caressing it for the hundredth time. He would be the perfect playmate for her little Shion. She smiled at the thought.

"Fujin…" Isaribi held out her hand. "It's time for your checkup."

Konan gave a small nod before grabbing Isaribi's hand for support as she stood. But once she took the first step, there was a sharp pain in her stomach, almost causing her to collapse.

"Fujin!" Isaribi's worried scream filled the room. Even Botan stopped what he was doing. "What's wrong?"

"I think . . . I think my . . . my water broke…" Konan answered between labored breaths.

"_What_?" Isaribi asked, shock clearly written on her face. But when Konan gave out another agonized yelp, she quickly took charge. "Botan, go get Sakura! And tell Zetsu to alert the other Akatsuki members!"

Botan gave a firm nod and ran off as fast as his stubby little legs could take him.

"Daijōbu, Fujin." Isaribi said to Konan, grasping her hand tightly. "You'll be fine, you'll be fine…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Hinata sighed as she glanced at Naruto in the distance, training again. She blamed herself. If only she had been stronger… If only she had been quicker… If she had been then maybe Kabuto wouldn't have gotten in their way. How could she be so . . . so…?

She could feel the tears coming out again. Was this how Sakura _always_ felt? As though she had failed Naruto completely? She couldn't help him at all. Was this _really_…?

"Hinata, don't feel so bad about it."

The Hyuga heiress looked up. "Kakashi-sensei!"

"We had already known our chances of getting back Sasuke were slim, so don't beat yourself up about it." the jonin explained. "There was nothing you could do even _if_ Kabuto hadn't shown his face."

"I know, but _still_…" Hinata couldn't help but feel as though she were useless. "We could have been able to save Sakura-chan… At the very least, we should have been able to meet up with her . . . to see if she was alright… Maybe then I wouldn't…" She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stop her cries.

Kakashi sighed, kneeling down to the girl and patting her back. "Then maybe _what_? You'd be even more disappointed. Yes, you'd see if Sakura was alright or not. But what if you found out she was being tortured or even _worse_? You'd beat herself up about it even more. This . . . this outcome was really what everyone expected, and this . . . this is probably the _best_ that could have come out of our failed attempts."

Hinata looked up at the jonin. "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Yes, I'm upset that I couldn't meet up with my two AWOL students, but I'm just glad that I didn't have to fight Sasuke or see how much Sakura was suffering. It's selfish, yes, but that makes me feel better about this outcome then anything else. We're shinobi, and we take missions all of the time. It's only natural that some of our missions will end up in failures, but if we keep having a negative outlook on things then how do you expect to do better on the next mission if this bad mood gets in the way of your training? You need to look at the glass half-full instead of half-empty or else you'll just wind up hurting yourself even more…"—he and Hinata glanced at his other student—"Be more like Naruto. He knows he failed this time, but that doesn't stop him because he knows he'll get more chances in the future. He knows he'll fail a whole lot more than once, but he knows that's okay. It just gives him the excuse of training even more to get stronger."

Hinata smiled.

"I take it my advice cheered you up?"

She nodded. "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, but I have to get going." And she ran off.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To train some more so that I can get stronger for the next mission!"

Kakashi's mouth twisted into a smile underneath his mask. _Well, Sakura… Sasuke… It looks like just the mention of your names works wonders on your friends, don't it?_

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Sakura picked the herbs, she hummed a small little tune. The sun was finally shining. Perhaps she had overworked herself with all of those superstitions. Nothing bad was going to happen anyway.

She smiled to herself when she was finally able to pick the herb she was trying to get. She looked back at her full basket and picked it up, ready to go back "_home_."

"Fujin! Fujin!"

She turned around. "_Botan_?" Her smile dropped once she heard his worried tone. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Botan answered. "But Isaribi-neechan said that Konan-Fujin's water broke."

Sakura's eyes widened—her hands went limp, dropping the basket of herbs. The baby was coming… And so _soon_! She felt faint for some reason… She couldn't put her hand on it, but she felt strange when she heard the news… It took Sakura a while to get her mind back to reality.

"Fujin…" Botan continued, tugging on Sakura's dress. "Does this mean the little master or mistress is coming out soon?"

"_Anoo_ . . . Botan," Sakura said, taking the boy's hand in hers. "I'll . . . I'll tell you on the way, okay? Right now, we . . . we need to get going!"

Botan _oh_ed as they started walking back towards the hideout.

"Did you tell anyone else?"

"I met Zetsu-dono on the way out. I told him, and he said he'd tell everyone else and that I should just come and get you straight away."

"Good, good…" Sakura nodded her head as she picked up the pace. Why was she so worried? Was it because of her mother or was it because of the baby? She didn't know, and she didn't try to figure it out. Right now, the only thing she was focused on was getting back to her mother.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"So . . . Itachi's younger brother is going after the eight-tails?" Pein asked.

"Yes," Madara answered.

"Why? He couldn't even defeat Itachi. In the end, his older brother died of his illness."

"Yes… And because of that, I got to see Sasuke at his full potential." Madara explained, an evil chuckle underneath all of his words. "Now I want to test him."

". . . Wasn't that the whole point of pitting him against his brother?"

"Yes, but there were unknown factors in their battle."

"_Factors_?" Pein asked, an eyebrow raised.

"For example, Itachi seemed much more hesitant than I thought he'd be." Madara clarified, hinting towards something.

Pein was no idiot. He knew Madara had a hidden agenda, just speaking to him. The Uchiha's objective? Pein didn't know, but he knew he had to be careful with his words.

"_Oh_?" he asked, "And why is that?"

Madara's sharingan activated. "Why don't you ask your daughter that?"

Pein narrowed his eyes, his dislike of the subject change was clearly shown on his face. "Sakura is naïve and innocent. There is no need to bring my daughter, _your_ goddaughter, into this conversation."

"Oh, but there is." Madara said. "As you said, Sakura-chan is naïve, and she is innocent, but her innocence won't lead her to _her_ undoing—it'll lead to everyone else's."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nagato, you _must_ have noticed. Your daughter's innocence leads her to despise the acts of hatred, revenge, and war. But her innocence . . . there's quite a large quantity of it in her than in most people."

Pein, with his eyes still narrowed, almost snarled. "Where are you going with this, Madara?"

"Well, it's just that . . . physically, yes, she's strong… But _mentally_ . . . there's some doubt as to whether or not she herself is strong in that realm."

"Are you trying to say that my daughter should be put in a mental ward?" The anger was evident in Pein's voice.

"She is my goddaughter—"

"_THE HELL SHE IS_!"

Madara ignored the rude comment and continued on, "—And so it's only natural that I'd care about her well-being, but I'm not implying that we should put her in a ward. I'm just simply stating that you should keep a better eye on her . . . especially with the baby coming."

Pein's eyes narrowed even further. "What do you mean by _that_?"

"Well…" Madara said, pretending to put his thoughts together. But in actuality, he had already planned this whole conversation out. "Think about it. I mean, after all, you and Konan _abandoned_ her in Konoha…"

"WE DID THAT FOR HER OWN GOOD!"

"Yes, but I doubt Sakura-chan sees it that way." Madara said, finally playing his trump card. "And a child deprived of a parent's love is such a sad thing, really… But to be deprived of _both_ parents' love and company . . . I can hardly believe that it hasn't affected her in such a way that it would disturb her and would potentially anger her to see her parents love her younger sibling… And being trained as a ninja hardly gives one the idea of tolerance."

"What are you _saying_?" Pein asked, the anger still in his voice. "Are you trying to say that Sakura would try and _kill_—"

"I'm not saying anything, Nagato. I'm just merely voicing out my opinions of how things are going."

Pein had no comeback or rebuke to Madara's words. After all, though Sakura _was_ his daughter, he had only started living with her just a little over three _months_ ago but, even within those three months, he didn't see much of her—just a regular morning visit and an evening visit. He couldn't ignore Madara's words. He himself had noticed some changes in his daughter, of course. She was much more childish than she had been when she first came to the Akatsuki. He wasn't sure of her mental health—Sakura was just that good of an actress. But her threat to kill herself (A/N: remember? In chapter 4, Sakura asked Konan if she'd care if she killed herself.)… It may have been out of anger, but it was one of the biggest clues he had. And then with all the recent deaths of her "_comrades_," who's to say that her condition hadn't worsened? After all, children who were neglected by their parents did tend to—

"Leader-sama, we have a situation!"

"What is it, Zetsu?"

"Konan . . . she . . ." White Zetsu had no idea how to put it, and so Black Zetsu just blurted it out, "The stork's coming!"

But all that did was confuse Pein, Madara/Tobi, and White Zetsu, too. Question marks floated over their heads.

"_What_? Tobi doesn't understand!"

White Zetsu just groaned. "I think he means to say that, 'THE _BABY'S_ COMING!'"

"_What_?" Tobi/Madara was just in shock. Wasn't the baby due _next_ week? _My, how time flies…_

Pein just stood there, shock washed over him.

"Leader-sama, what should we do?"

"Just let Isaribi-chan and Sakura-chan handle it," Tobi explained cheerfully.

"No."

Zetsu and Tobi glanced over at Pein.

"Don't let Sakura inside the birthing room."

"_What_?" Black Zetsu asked—Tobi smirked under his mask. It would appear that his words _had_ gotten through to him, after all.

"What do you mean by that?" White Zetsu asked. "Sakura's the medical nin. If anything were to happen—"

"Don't let her in!" Pein yelled this time. "That's my order."

Zetsu and Tobi exchanged worried glances, but that didn't stop Tobi/Madara from relaying the order to the rest of the Akatsuki.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT ALLOWED IN?"

Kisame cringed at his pupil's scream.

"It's true, Sakura-chan. Leader-sama has forbidden Sakura-chan's presence in the birthing room during the birth." Tobi explained.

Sakura glared at him. "_What_? My . . . my father? Why would he order such a thing?" she asked. "He wouldn't _dare_ do that, God-dad! You're just making up a story! Let me through!"

"It's true, Hime-chan. (A/N: remember? In the last chapter, Isaribi had suggested that the Akatsuki call her _'Hime'_ since they treated her like one.)" Kisame said. "Your father really did order it. We can't disobey his orders, no matter what the circumstances."

Sakura said no more. She couldn't believe this. Why would her father…? She ran her hand through her hair. No, she'd find out later. Right now, making sure her mother was alright was more important.

She glanced at the child next to her who looked at her wondering what was going on. ". . . Botan's allowed in, right?" she finally asked after a few silent minutes.

". . ." Kisame and Tobi glanced at Zetsu, unsure of what to say.

White Zetsu sighed. "Most likely, yes, since the order only specified your presence."

"But how will that _brat_ be of any help?" Kisame asked, sneering at the child. Clearly, he still hadn't gotten over his dislike of anything small and cute. "The most he will do is cause trouble."

But Sakura ignored Kisame's words and knelt down, her hands on Botan's shoulders. "Listen closely, Botan." she told the boy. "I need you to go in there and ask your Isaribi-neechan how my mother is doing. Then I want you to come back out and tell me her answer, okay?"

It took Botan a while to take in all the information, but he answered with a "Okay, Fujin." And he was off.

When he opened the door, Isaribi immediately told him to close it, thinking that it was Sakura. Botan did as he was told but, when he turned to glance over the room, he was frightened. He had never seen Isaribi so worried before nor had he seen Konan so pale before.

"Saku—" Isaribi's eyes widened when she realized it was Botan. "_Botan_? Where's Sakura?"

"The . . . the blue man and mask guy told her that Leader-sama wouldn't allow her in here."

"_What_?" Isaribi asked. "Leader-sama ordered that?"

"_Why_…?" Konan tried to sit up.

"No, Fujin. You'll hurt yourself." Isaribi quickly offered her assistance.

Konan took the girl's hands. "Why would they say that?"

Botan shook his head. "I don't really know, Fujin. The blue man said that Sakura-Fujin's father really did order it."

Konan fell back on the bed, sweat covered her face. "Does he want me _dead_?"

"Fujin…" Isaribi said. "There must be another explanation."

"Isaribi-neechan… Sakura-Fujin sent me in to ask how Konan-Fujin is doing."

Isaribi shook her head. "Not so good. The baby's not coming out as quickly as we'd have hoped. I don't know why…"

And Botan went out of the room.

Konan let out a pained scream.

"Fujin, you'll be alright. You'll be fine. The _baby_ will be fine. The baby will be fine."

But Konan was less focused on that, right now. Why wasn't her own daughter, Akatsuki's _medical nin_, allowed inside the birthing room? Why did Nagato order such a thing?

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_So_? How is…?"

"Isaribi-neechan said that Konan-Fujin is not so good," Botan answered. "She said that the baby isn't coming out as quickly as they'd have hoped. And she said that she didn't know why…"

Sakura fell to her knees, completely frustrated.

"Sakura-chan!" Tobi was going to help her up, but she shook her head, indicating that she had no will to even stand.

Sakura cried, tears flowing out her eyes. "It must be because of that miscarriage… Mama's body isn't healthy enough for the delivery…" She put a hand to her mouth, trying to silence her cries.

"Can't you make some medicine then?" Kisame asked.

Sakura shook her head. "I need to be in the room… I need to see how she is . . . or the medicine could just make her condition much worse than it already is…"

Botan didn't want to hear anymore and ran back in the room, not wanting to see Sakura's tears. He walked over to Isaribi and tugged on her dress.

"Yes? What is it, Botan?"

Even by the sound of her voice, Botan could tell that Isaribi was worried.

"Sakura-Fujin thinks that it's because of Konan-Fujin's last miscarriage," Botan answered. "She says Konan-Fujin's body isn't healthy enough for the delivery."

Konan closed her eyes, having heard what the boy had said. "So . . . it's that… My second child's spirit must be bitter towards me…"

"Fujin…"

"Somehow, I knew that the miscarriage would come back to haunt me…"

"Fujin…"

"Does that mean the little master might not come?" Botan asked.

Isaribi didn't know how to answer. She glanced at Konan who just sighed.

Botan, on the other hand, had heard enough and ran out of the room.

"_Botan_!"

He ignored his Neechan's cry.

"Botan! Where are you _going_?"

He ignored Sakura's. He just kept on running.

_Sakura cried, tears flowing out her eyes. "It must be because of that miscarriage… Mama's body isn't healthy enough for the delivery…" She put a hand to her mouth, trying to silence her cries._

He hated seeing her like that.

_"So . . . it's that… My second child's spirit must be bitter towards me… Somehow, I knew that the miscarriage would come back to haunt me…"_

He felt horrible for Konan. For her to think that… She must already know how hopeless it was without Sakura there…

_"I need to be in the room… I need to see how she is . . . or the medicine could just make her condition much worse than it already is…"_

He would help them, yes, and he knew just what to do. He slammed open the door that stood between him and his destination.

"Ah, Botan, is it?" Pein asked. "What is it? Why do you come running here?"

Botan swallowed hard. He had never seen someone so crippled before—_why is the man in a machine? _he thought—but he kept his chin up. He went on his knees, his forehead touching the floor. "Please take back what you said!" he begged. "Please let Sakura-Fujin into the birthing room!"

Pein was taken back. This little boy dared to try and force him to make compensation? Pein was angry, yes, but . . . he respected the trembling boy for standing up to him. He was more angrier, though.

"And why should I, _boy_?"

Botan lifted his head up. "Because you're hurting both Sakura-Fujin and Konan-Fujin!"

Pein glared at the boy. "Explain yourself."

"The little master might not come!" Botan cried. "Sakura-Fujin says that Konan-Fujin's body isn't healthy enough for the delivery! She says it's because of Konan-Fujin's last miscarriage! She's crying! She's crying a lot! Konan-Fujin, too! She's worried that the little master may not survive!"

Botan's forehead touched the ground again. "_Please_!" he begged once more. "Please, take back what you said and let Sakura-Fujin into the birthing room!"

Pein sighed. For some reason, this boy reminded him of himself when he was young…

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Fujin! Fujin!"

"Botan!" Sakura's eyes widened as Botan came running towards her. "What is it? What's wrong? Why were you running? Where did you go?"

Botan shook his head. "That doesn't matter, Fujin. Right now . . ."—he took a deep breath—"Leader-sama has given you permission to go into the birthing room!"

"_What_? _Really_?" Sakura asked. "Is that true, Botan?"

"Of course not!" Tobi/Madara said, furious that the boy had ruined his plan. "Botan-kun, you should not tell a lie! You'll get Sakura-chan in trouble!"

"But I'm _not_ lying, Tobi-dono!" Botan cried. "Leader-sama has said that he'd allowed Sakura-Fujin into the birthing room! You can ask him yourself!"

Tobi/Madara's hands rolled into fists.

Suddenly, there was a scream.

"Mama!" Sakura didn't care if Botan was lying or not. She ran into the birthing room and to her mother's side. "Mama! Mama, hold on!" She turned to Isaribi. "Get me a few moist towels! Hot water, not cold!"

"Hai, Fujin!" Isaribi said as she ran to get those things.

"Sakura…"

Sakura held her mother's hands. "Daijōbu, Mama… You'll be fine… The baby, too… The baby will be fine…" But in reality, Sakura wasn't so confident of herself. She had never done a delivery before, not by herself. She'll try, yes—she'll try her very hardest. But would it be enough?

"Daijōbu… Everything will be alright…" she said over and over again to her mother and to herself. "The baby _will_ be fine…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Why did you let Sakura into the birthing room?" Madara fumed. "You don't know what she could do! She could—"

"_Enough_, Madara!" Pein said. "I trust my daughter, not the illusion you painted in my head earlier today."

"_Illusion_? I only gave you—"

"Sorry to interrupt."

"What is it, Zetsu?" Pein asked.

"Well, first things first. Congratulations on getting a second child, and congratulations on your second daughter."

* * *

**-dono = lord; master**

**Neechan= older sister [honorific]**

**Whoo-hoo! A new baby girl! Congrats to Pein and Konan! I'm so happy! I was, like, in _tears_ when I finished this! Thank you for reading this chapter! And I hope you guys review cuz I want some reviews on this one definitely! Did I make this too crappy? Did I make it too dramatic? Did I put too much into this one? Please tell me! I'm so worried!**


	8. 8th Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yippie! A new chapter! Also, here's some news. This is the _second to last_ chapter of _Akatsuki no Kuruma _which means the next one will be the _last_ and it will go onto its sequel. I've already come up with a name for it. I'll tell you guys its name in the next chapter, kay? And here's the thing: the plot I have for the sequel is like two different parts that have, like, their own little plots. And so, getting to the point, for this series, I will have _three_ installments which means, after the sequel, there will be _another_ sequel. So . . . please take a look at the polls underneath my bottom author's note, kay? I need you guys to help me decide on a name for the whole series.**

**Also, to clear things up: Shion is Konan and Pein's daughter, but Pein is crippled, so it's hard for him to pass on his genes. And so, having so many bodies, he chose Yahiko's body to pass on his genes. Get what I mean?**

**I don't know if you guys will think this chapter is crappy or not, but please do not fret if it is! It'll just make the next chapter better! So please enjoy! And don't forget to check out the bottom poll!**

* * *

_Sending off the dawn's carriage_

_Those orange petals_

_are stirring somewhere even now_

* * *

~The Eighth Dawn~

As Sakura held the little girl in her arms, she couldn't help but smile. She had helped Tsunade with hundreds of deliveries before, but _this_ . . . this was different. This was her new baby sister she was holding. Of course, she couldn't help but feel much more happier than she had been during those _other_ deliveries.

"She's so small…" she said softly to her mother while keeping her eyes on her sister who just stared at her with wide eyes. "What did you decide to name her…?"

"Shion."

"_Shion_?" Sakura asked, thinking about it for a moment before her smile returned. "It's pretty… 'Heart-warming'… It's—"

"No. 'Self-sounding.'"

"_'Self-sounding'_?" Sakura turned to glance at her mother. "But why—"

"'Self-sounding' so that she needn't cause you the burden of being unable to save herself and for her to live by her own strength."

Upon hearing the meaning, Sakura's smile returned. "It's pretty…" She glanced back down at the small infant. "Don't you think so, too? Shion… Such a cute name for such a cute baby…"

Konan also couldn't keep a smile off of her face. Her two daughters together like this… It brought tears to her eyes.

"Mama… Why are you crying?"

Sakura's voice snapped the Akatsuki member out of her thoughts. "Oh, nothing, sweetheart…" Konan wiped away her tears, not wanting to let her daughter see her cry. "I was just thinking… That's all."

But Sakura wouldn't let the subject slide. "About . . . _what_?" she pried.

Konan smiled at her daughter's concern, but nevertheless she still gave the same answer. "It's nothing important," she said.

"But—_Itai_! Shion, no, no." Sakura said, untangling her rosette locks from her sister's flailing arms. "It's not nice to pull on someone else's hair."

Konan laughed at this. "It would seem like Shion has a mischievous side to her."

"Does she?" Sakura asked, smiling at her sister. "She's not even aware of the things going around her. It's too early to say so, isn't it?"

Konan sighed. "Maybe… But,"—she caressed her older daughter's cheeks—"I do hope she grows up to have your character."

"_My_ character?" Sakura asked in disbelief with a chuckle. "But why? I have a bad temper."

Konan shrugged. "It's not _that_ bad."

"_So_? It doesn't matter. Other people have better personalities than I do. Like Tobi-san—"

"He is the _last_ person I'd want Shion to model on!" Konan snapped.

Sakura winced at her mother's harsh words, but Shion had started crying.

"Oh, no, don't cry, little one…" Sakura cooed but to no avail. She turned to her mother. "I think she wants you."

"Here, give her to me." Konan hand out her hands, and Sakura passed her sister to her. Konan rocked the little baby, and soon Shion's cries stopped. However, she looked at her mother a bit confused. She turned her head left and right and then back again.

"Oh, what are you looking for, Shion?" Sakura asked.

And when Shion saw her sister, she gave a big squeal and reached her hands out for Sakura.

"Oh, she's after my hair again!"

"Well, that's what happens when you have long hair and a new baby in the house!" Konan laughed again, holding Shion tightly so that Sakura's hair needn't be attacked again. "It's good to see you two getting along so nicely."

Sakura's eyes softened. "So we would! We're sisters, aren't we? Even though the father's blood may be different, we're from the same soul! We're soul sisters!"

Konan laughed once more. "I think soul sister has a different meaning."

"_So_? What of it?"

Konan shook her head. "Regardless, it would still be nice if Shion grew up like you."

"_Mama_…" Sakura was still confused, though.

"Your kindness is large enough to embrace the oceans… Even though so much has happened, how much we wronged you . . . you still see your father and I as your parents. For that much, I'm grateful. I've never actually expected us to get along as a family again… But for it to have happen…"

"Mama," Sakura said. "What's there to be grateful for? I'm your daughter, you're my mother. There's no—"

Konan shook her head, holding Sakura's hands tightly. "Do you know how much I regret not being there for you when you were growing up? When you faced danger on your missions? When you suffered from heartache? Do you know how much I regret that? You can't _possibly_ imagine my pain and my guilt whenever I think of how I left my own daughter to survive on her own… How you could forgive me is _beyond_ me… If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have let it slide so easily."

"Mama…"

"I won't make the same mistake. I promise you that. I won't _ever_ leave you behind, ever again… I won't leave you, I won't… You have to believe that."

"Mama…" Sakura felt horrible when she saw how much her mother truly meant it. How all things to feel… "Mama, I've already forgiven you and Papa. I've put it behind me already. Let bygones be bygones, okay?"

Konan nodded her head. She pulled Sakura into a hug . . . but Shion had her own ideas.

"_Itai_! _Seriously_, Shion, it's not good to pull on other people's hair!"

"I think she likes you."

"She doesn't like _me_, Mama! She likes _my hair_!"

Laughter then "What's the difference?"

"There's a _HUGE_ difference!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Hinata sighed. She had been lonely for these past few days. Naruto had gone off training to learn senjutsu to fight off the soon coming Akatsuki, and everyone else was either on a mission or was too busy to spend any time with her. And so, she just sat there, whistling and looking up at the clouds. She had finally learned why Shikamaru so appreciated the scenery whenever he could—of course, she wasn't being lazy; she was just bored. She had already finished training for the day, and now she didn't know what to do.

She trailed into her thoughts, and soon her thoughts led her to think about Sakura. Was she alright? Was she hurt? Was she being tortured? Were the Akatsuki—

Hinata mentally gasped when she realized something. Since Sakura had been kidnapped by the Akatsuki and since Itachi was part of the Akatsuki then . . . wouldn't that mean there was a chance she met up with Sasuke?

Now, Hinata gasped for real this time. This was a big thing, something _HUGE_. No one had really thought about that until now. Should she tell someone? She really didn't know. Oh, what was she to do? She didn't want to worry anybody, yes, but still… She sighed. Oh, what was she to do?

"Hey, Stutters. What's got you so riled up?"

Hinata jumped. "Sai! Please . . . please don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry," Sai apologized, but his smile was still on his face. "Did I interrupt you?"

"No, you didn't, Sai."

"Oh… Then what were you doing up here?"

"Oh, I just came here to think," Hinata answered, smiling. "A lot has happened in these past few months. I . . . I was just making sure I haven't forgotten about anything."

But Sai caught the Hyuga's fake smile. "You're worried about Sakura-san, correct?"

"How did you…?"

"I wear a lot of those fake smiles myself, Hyuga-san. But let me tell you something, Sakura-san doesn't seem like the type to be worried about. She can take care of herself."

"I know, Sai… But . . . what if—"

"She meets up with Sasuke-kun?" Sai finished. "Don't worry so much, I've already thought about that possibility. If she does indeed meet up with her ex-teammate, there's no guarantee that he'd hurt her."

Hinata felt relieved to hear that. But . . . "There's no guarantee that he _wouldn't_ hurt her either!"

"See, that's where you're _wrong_. Hyuga-san, I've been in the ANBU Roots for quite some time, and what I've excelled in is reading people. Uchiha Sasuke does not seem like the person that wants to hurt Sakura-san."

"Why would you think that? Sasuke-kun would even hurt _Naruto-kun_. Why would he spare Sakura-chan then?"

"Because he did so when we caught up with him at Orochimaru's lair," Sai explained. "Though Naruto-kun and Yamato-taichou may have seen things differently, I could tell that Sasuke had no intention of hurting Sakura."

"But he _attacked_ her!"

"Only to be stopped by our team leader."

"But what about when he was about to unleash some jutsu to—"

"He was stopped by Orochimaru, wasn't he?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun told me all of that, but I still don't see how—"

"Just think about it, Hyuga-san." Sai said. "Who was the one who protected Sakura the most when they were genin? It wasn't Naruto, it was _Sasuke_."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Konan smiled at the scene in front of her. If she had a camera, she would've taken a million pictures. If she had any friends, she would've sent all those pictures out to them. She silently giggled at silly thoughts. But glancing at her sleeping daughters, Shion in Sakura's embrace, she found herself regretting so much. She couldn't give them a peaceful life. They couldn't be like ordinary girls or even ordinary kunoichi because of her and Pein's involvement with the Akatsuki. They couldn't even lead a safe life.

Konan sighed. What kind of a mother was she? Yes, she loved her daughters, but there was so much she couldn't give them—so much that they couldn't have.

Konan sat up on her bed, caressing Sakura's face and combing away her hair. "Mama's so sorry… You don't know how much… I wish I could give you the life that you deserve, but instead you're stuck in a kunoichi's existence. There's so much I regret, so much I wish I could redo…" She glanced at Shion. "I don't want to keep on making mistakes that I'll regret later on… My experience with you has taught me so much. I hope that you can help me make better decisions for your sister. I don't want her to suffer life like you did. I don't want to see that for a second time. It'll be tough, but I promise you that I'll make it work out. After the invasion, I promise you I won't do anything else to hurt you…" And with that, Konan walked out of the room.

Hearing her mother's footsteps, Sakura opened her eyes, turning to the door. She glanced at her sleeping sister and sighed. She held Shion tightly against her chest.

"You don't have to worry, Shion… Mama will come back for us… After the invasion, we'll live happily together… And even if Mama can't keep that promise, I'll always be with you… I won't let you suffer like I did…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

A sigh. "I was wondering when you were coming…"

"Nagato, why did you forbid Sakura into the birthing room?"

Another sigh. "I . . . I just did… I wasn't thinking straight…"

"Were you not thinking straight or did someone cloud your judgment?"

"Konan…" Pein was, needless to say, shocked. How did she figure things out so easily?

"Nagato, I knew you since small. You can't lie to me that easily. What would you gain from not allowing Sakura, the only medical nin Akatsuki has, into the birthing room? If Botan hadn't gotten you to change your mind then I would have been dead and so would the baby. I know you wouldn't have done that. You wouldn't do anything to hurt Yahiko's child. So . . . who was it that made you hesitate?"

". . . No one… I just . . . I just wasn't thinking straight. I was worried, that's all…"

But Konan wouldn't take that as an answer. In fact, she already had her suspicions as to who it was. However, she kept quiet and went along with it.

She sighed and walked over to her lover, stroking his pale cheek. "Next time, don't second-guess yourself or our daughter. She's capable. Look, it's only been a few hours since the baby was born, and she and Sakura are already inseparable. I doubt that'll ever change."

Pein nodded his head. "You're right…"

Konan kissed him and then pulled away. "Are we still going as we've planned?"

Another nod. "Yes, and after we attack Konoha, we'll leave Akatsuki with Sakura and Shion and go to Amegakure. Your dream of having a family and a peaceful life will be fulfilled."

This time, Konan nodded. "I know…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Konan walked through the halls, she only had one mindset, and she only needed to see one more person to get things straight.

And luckily for her—

"Ah, I've been wondering when you'd come and talk to me."

—that person also had something to say.

"Uchiha Madara," she spat. "How dare you try and turn Sakura into a monster in her father's eyes! How dare you paint such an illusion!"

"_Illusion_?" the masked man asked, ever-so-innocently. "Tobi has no idea what Konan-san is talking about. Maybe—"

"Cut the act! I don't want to speak to _Tobi_—I want to speak with _you_, Madara."

"Very well, then." And suddenly, Tobi's happy tone became dark and sinister. "Shoot."

"I've already been as lenient as my limits can let me but, if you continue to harm my family, I won't let you go. I'll make sure you suffer."

Madara chuckled. "I couldn't have said so better myself."

"_What_?"

"Really, Konan, do you really believe I'd _harm_ my goddaughter?"

"How dare you!" the woman snarled. "You're still calling her that? I don't recall ever making you her godfather. You forced yourself onto her."

"Heh, you're making it sound like I raped her."

Konan's hands rolled into fists. "You don't know how much I want you dead right now…"

"The feeling's neutral. However, I'm the one with nothing to lose."

"_What_? Are you _threatening_ me?"

"I'm not an idiot, Konan. I've noticed the changes in you. You were once very quiet, very anti-social. You seldom talked. But now, your motherhood has changed you. Don't think I won't use that to my advantage."

Konan said no more on the subject. ". . . Just stay away from them." And just like that, she turned to leave. But with that battle, a war had just begun.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Konan punched the wall. Just how did things get so complicated? "I can't _believe_ this!"

There was a knock, and then the door opened.

"Who is it?" Konan snapped but, when she saw her midwife, her tone softened. "Oh, Isaribi… I didn't—"

"It's quite alright, Fujin." the girl said. "I barged in here without permission."

". . . Why are you here anyway?"

"I . . . I just wanted to know what you plan on doing."

Konan gave her a questioning look.

"About Tob—I mean, Madara."

Konan's eyes widened. "You heard all of it?"

Isaribi just nodded. "What will you do, Fujin?"

The older woman just gave out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly . . . I'm not sure. He's too powerful for any of us to handle. And now that I've confronted him, I've just made things worse. With Sakura and Shion within his grasp, there's nothing I _can_ do at this point."

"Then why not we safeguard against him?"

"Safeguard? How—"

"You and Leader-sama will be leaving for Konoha soon. Afterwards, you want to bring Sakura-san and Shion-san to Amegakure, isn't that correct?" She took Konan's silence as a yes. "Madara is busy—I don't know why—but he'll be busier once the invasion starts. And during that time, it'll give me a chance to prepare Sakura-san for the leave."

"But how will you—"

"Don't ask so many questions lest someone will plan a countermeasure. All you need to know is that I _will_ get your daughters out safely so that you and Leader-sama can meet us in Amegakure."

Konan smiled a bit, taking the girl's hand in hers. "Arigato, Isaribi. Arigato…"

However, the conversation wasn't as private as the two women had thought. Outside, Madara's fists shook. _Those ungrateful wenches… Fine… If they want to fight fire with fire then I'll give them something to worry about._

✿｡.:***The Next Day***:.｡✿

"I'm so worried about you… Please be safe and come back to see Shion and I…" Sakura kissed her father's cheek.

Pein nodded his head. He stroked his daughter's cheek. "I'm more worried about you." His eyes shifted to Madara before returning to Sakura.

"Daijōbu, Papa…" She lifted Shion up so that she was eye-level with Pein. "I'll make sure Shion and I are right here waiting for you."

Pein nodded his head.

"Sakura, take care of Shion while we're gone."

"I will, Mama."

"And _you_"—she shook finger in front of Shion's face—"you be good and listen to your older sister. And don't pull her hair anymore."

Shion gave a squeal and clapped her hands together, reaching for her mother.

"Also, Sakura…" Konan returned her gaze to her older daughter. Her eyes shifted to Madara then back to her girl. "Remember what I told you this morning, okay?"

Sakura nodded her head. "I will, Mama…" There was no way she'd forget that morning.

_Sakura groaned as someone shook her awake._

_"Sakura! Sakura! Please wake up, sweetheart."_

_Sakura rubbed her eyes. "Mama? What is it?"_

_"Your father and I are leaving soon, but I need to tell you something—something important."_

_"Well, can't it wait? I'll be seeing you two off, after all. Can't it wait till then?"_

_Konan shook her head. "No, it can't. I'm afraid that, once others are around, it'll be disastrous."_

_"Huh?" Sakura looked at her mom, wondering what was going on. "What do you mean, Mama? What—"_

_"Just listen to me, sweetheart. Some things are _not_ as they seem. Some people may try to be your friends, but they may harbor ill feelings towards you or people you're close to. But whatever ill feelings they have, they _will_ try to hurt you… You must learn how to differentiate such scum from your _true_ friends—not just for your sake, but for Shion's too…"_

Though she promised her mother she'd do so, Sakura was still wondering what that was all about. She didn't have the slightest clue, only that her mother was trying to warn her of a wolf in sheepskin.

"Listen to Isaribi, okay?"

Sakura nodded her head. "I will."

Konan smiled before turning to Isaribi who only nodded to her. Konan took this as a sign that the girl had prepared everything. Konan gave each of her daughters a kiss on the cheek before leaving. Her daughters were in safe hands… There should be no trouble in getting them to Amegakure…

Meanwhile, Madara just watched the scene with disgust. But he smirked. Team Hebi should be arriving near Konoha anytime now. He should also be going. After all, he wanted to see Konan's dying face.

* * *

**Whew! That's done… Well, it took me a really long time to actually come up with a good idea for this chapter. I had everything planned out for the next one, it was just this chapter that was giving me a small problem. I hoped you guys like it. It'll just make everything much more dramatic. Thank you and please review!**

**

* * *

**

POLLS

**Please help me decide what name this trilogy should have. I'm not really good with group titles, so please don't hate me. Choices are: My All, Decisions, Reasons, Who's Crying, Marionette, or Heroine.**

**Or if you have a better idea, please say so in your review!**


	9. 9th Dawn

-When Sasuke left, Sakura was left heartbroken. When he tried to kill her, her Daddy Dearest decides to kidnap her. And soon, she's a version of herself whom her friends don't recognize.

* * *

**Yippie! A new chapter! It's rushed a bit, but I hope you enjoy!**

**. . . . .**

**OMG! This is the _last_ chapter of _Akatsuki no Kuruma_! Yay! I finally finished it! I'm _so_ happy! Thank you for all those who read my story and reviewed it! You've made this fanfic my _second_ most successful one in terms of reviews, alerts, and favorites and my third most successful in terms of hits! So thank you for those who actually read it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! **

**Oh, and for those of you still waiting for Sasuke to have a bigger role in this story, I thank you for your patience. He _will_ be coming. It's just that his role in the story requires him to stay out of it for a while though he is mentioned in some of the past few chapters. But he will come in very, _very_ soon.**

**And so, without further ado, the finale of _Akatsuki no Kuruma_—The Ninth Dawn! Please enjoy!**

**WARNING: There's going to be, like, one _major_ skip in this chapter since things in Pein's invasion of Konoha is going to be almost the same. There's going to be something else that's more exciting to read.**

**BIGGER WARNING: I am _NOT_ good at writing fighting scenes, so please don't flame me for that.**

* * *

_The peaceful daybreak I once saw…_

_Until it is placed in my hands once more,_

_Please don't let the light go out…_

_The wheels . . . are turning…_

* * *

~The Ninth Dawn~

As Hinata looked around her, tears threatened to fall. Konoha, her home village… It was destroyed! And in less than a minute! Could it really be…? Konoha… Had Konoha really fallen?

Hinata's head shot up, trying to look for the source of that horrible wailing noise but only to realize that the wailing noise was coming from her. Her tears couldn't be blocked, they had already leaked from her eyes. And so she cried. And she cried out to the only person who she knew could save them all, "_NARUTO_!"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_Huh_?" Sakura looked out towards the field to the south.

"What's wrong, Fujin?"

"I, I thought…"—she shook her head—"It's nothing…" But she continued to stare off in the direction of Konoha. She had a bad feeling… Her parents were fighting, yes, but so were her friends. Her heart felt as though it was being stomped on. She should _be_ there, healing people like Tsunade had taught her, not _here_—she shouldn't have been shielded from the battle. She couldn't help but feel so… She sighed. What use was it to think about things like that?

Unbeknownst to her, Isaribi was also feeling the same kind of dread. However, Isaribi's worries were for a different reason. How much time would she have to prepare Sakura and Botan for the sudden leave? She had already packed some of their things, but they along with Shion were unaware of the events that would unfold. Plus, there was no telling what Madara would do once he found the group missing. Would they be hunted like animals? Or would Madara allow them to escape?

Isaribi tried to rid herself of these worries, pouring tea for Sakura and her.

"Shion…" Isaribi _tsk_ed as she noticed the mess the little baby was making. "Please stop fidgeting and eat your baby food…"

"Here," Sakura said, holding her hand out. "Give me her formula…"

Isaribi did as she was told while also passing Shion to her older sister.

Once the baby saw her sister's face, she smiled and squealed—her hands reaching out for her sister.

"Shion, Shion…" Sakura cooed. "Drink your formula like a good girl and take your nap, okay?"

Immediately, Shion made a face but, nevertheless, she listened to her older sister and sucked on the bottle.

"Shion really does like you, you know…"

"Does she?" Sakura asked, a smile on her face as she watched her sister. "You know . . . before she was born, when I had found out I'd be getting a sibling, I didn't like it… Another thing to take away my parents' love and attention from me… I really hated it…"

"Fujin…"

"But of course, it's hard for me to think that now because _now_"—she passed the bottle back to Isaribi and held Shion close, the sisters' foreheads touching—"I have someone to also dote on. Isn't that right, Shion?"

Shion squealed again as Sakura giggled, her hands gripped tightly and—

"_Itai_! Shion! Stop pulling on my hair!"

Isaribi giggled. "It's good to see you two get along…"

"Is it?" Sakura asked.

Isaribi nodded. "Yes. It—"

Suddenly, there was a clasp of thunder, and grey clouds rolled in. The sky cried heavy tears.

"Oh! It's raining!" Sakura exclaimed, holding Shion close to her and inside of her cloak.

"Come on!" Isaribi said, laughing at their predicament. "Let's get you two inside…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"What are you doing here?"

"Well now, is that some way to greet someone?" But Madara, sensing Sasuke's impatience, quickly cleared his throat. "Anyway, I can't let you go to Konoha yet. I have another job for you."

"We already got you the eight-tails!" Suigetsu argued. "We owe you nothing more!"

"Oh, on contrary, the eight-tails you caught for us was just a substitution. The real one escaped." Madara explained.

"I don't care," the younger Uchiha said. "We're not infiltrated with Akatsuki anymore. We're not running any more of your errands, so step aside." And seeing that Madara wouldn't leave, Sasuke charged up his Chidori. But when he attacked the man, he went right through him. _What the…? What is he?_

"So I'll take it you'll listen to me now?"

"Is there any reason why I _should_?"

"Because I can offer you an easier way to get to the Konoha Elders and Danzo."

And at that, Sasuke couldn't refuse. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I just need to accompany me somewhere." Madara chuckled. "I need to get rid of a little pest…"

And though Sasuke and the rest of Team Hebi thought nothing of Madara's wicked tone, Karin not only felt uneasy but also felt as though something was up. She didn't like this… How could they trust someone who was always hiding behind a mask?

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Naruto watched as Pein coughed up blood, Konan watched sadly by his side.

"Nagato…"

Pein gently smiled at her. "I'll leave our daughters to you, Konan… Take good care of them…"

Trying to stop her tears, Konan could only nod.

Pein turned to Naruto. "Dying like trash… Never ending hatred… Pain that never heals… That is war… Naruto… This . . . this is what you must face… The book . . . and you… It's like . . . someone . . . set this all up… Or maybe . . . this is the hand of the _real_ god… My role is over now… Naruto . . . you can really—" And with those last words, Pein breathed his last, smiling peacefully for the first time since Shion was born.

_Rest well and in peace, Nagato…_ Konan prayed.

Meanwhile, Naruto just watched Konan closely, ready for anything she'd pull. But what she pulled out . . . was a bouquet of paper flowers. Naruto was just dumbfounded.

"Like our eldest daughter, Nagato believed in you, so I believe in you, too." Konan explained. "This time . . . I hope for you that these will be flowers of a hope that'll never die. Let these be the symbol of peace between Konoha and I."

"Err… _Thanks_…?" Naruto said, uncertainly, as he took the flowers. Though they were allies now, he still had questions left. "What are you going to do now?"

Konan smiled a little, looking up at the sky. "Nagato was my only true tie to the Akatsuki. Now that he's gone, I'm through with those people, and I'm going to leave the group and go to Amegakure with my daughters. After all, that village needs a new leader to help it grow a better alliance with Konoha… I hope you can visit my daughters and me once you establish peace once more… Your ability to change others is your strong point, remember that." At that moment, Konan began turning into millions of paper birds.

"_Wait_!" Naruto cried. "I have one more question! What did you guys do to Sakura-chan? Is she alright? Can I see her again?"

Konan's giggle lingered in the air. "I already answer that question. Perhaps you're really as dense as my daughter says…"

Her answer just left a baffled Naruto standing there. "_Daughter_…?" he asked, glancing at the flowers. "It can't possibly mean…" He shook his head as he jumped off to find his friends. "_Nah_…"

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_Achoo_!"

"Uh-oh, it looks like you've caught a cold. It'd be bad if you catch a fever. Konan-san and Leader-sama would scold me if I'd let you fall ill…"

Sakura smiled. "It's alright, Isaribi. I don't think I'm sick… Hopefully, someone's just talking about me, and . . . _hopefully_, they're saying nice things about me."

"Yeah… That is, unless they're talking about when you throw around that scary temper of yours."

"Sharky-_sempai_!" Sakura huffed. "That's so _mean_ of you to say so of your _only_ pupil!"

Kisame shrugged. "Yeah, it is… But what are you going to do about it? Itachi's not around anymore to stand up for you."

"_Kisame_!" Isaribi scolded.

"What? I—_oh_…" When Kisame saw Sakura hang her head and her eyes gazing down at the floor, he knew immediately what he said wrong. Apparently, _both_ Uchiha brothers' names were a taboo around the cherry blossom.

Isaribi shoved him in the gut with her elbow. "Nice going…"

But Sakura wouldn't let anyone see her depressed. She picked up her head and smiled. "Daijōbu!" she said. "I don't need Weasel-kun if you keep on picking on me! I'll just tell my dad!"

"_What_?" Kisame almost screamed. _Leader-sama's even worse than Itachi ever was!_

Meanwhile, Isaribi was just thrown into a fit of laughter. "She got you there, didn't she?"

"Sh-shut up!" Kisame yelled. "And besides,"—he turned to Sakura with a serious face on—"you shouldn't be playing all day long. Your parents are fighting the whole village of Konoha at this moment. Anything could happen, especially since that village has sprouted all of the ninja who have taken down at least one Akatsuki member—you yourself included. Your parents might not even—"

"_Yada_!" Sakura snapped. "My parents will come back, I know they will…" And she went to pick up Shion who had just started crying from Botan's arms and began to rock the little baby in her arms. "They promised…"

At that last sentence and at the sight in front of them, Kisame and Isaribi both saddened. They had never seen Sakura so . . . so . . . so depressed, so hopeless-looking before. And . . . was she about to _cry_?

"For both Shion and my sakes . . . they _can't_ break this promise… They _will_ come back… They just have to…" _For my sake, they can't break this promise… They just can't…_

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"_Shimatta_!" Konan cursed under her breath as her thousands of origami birds formed her body. She couldn't travel in that form if it were raining. She'd be flightless if wet. To make matters worse, she had to signal Isaribi to get both Sakura and Shion out of Madara's reach. And now—

_Chrip-chrip!_

She gasped, but it was too late to dodge.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

The tea cup shattered as it hit the ground.

"Fujin! Are you alright? Botan! Look at what you did!"

"But, Neechan, I didn't even touch the vase!"

"Isaribi, it's okay…" Sakura said. "Accidents happen, and I didn't get injured. Botan's still young. Don't scare him just because of such a small mistake."

"But Fujin! I wasn't anywhere _near_ the vase! I can't even reach!"

"Stop making excuses, child!"

"Sharky-sempai!" Sakura scolded. "If he says he didn't touch it then he didn't! End of story!"

"Fine…" Kisame grumbled, crossing his arms.

But as Isaribi went to get a broom, Sakura couldn't help but notice that the shattered vase and the red spider lilies looked like a broken mirror with her reflection oozing crimson blood. And for some reason, that reflection—she thought—was the closest she could ever look like her mother.

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Konan clutched her bleeding chest, glaring at her opponents' ringleader.

"Surprised to see me, Konan?"

"_Madara_…" she snarled. "What are you doing here?"

"_What_? Didn't you think for a moment that I'd find out about your plan to leave Akatsuki with your daughters?" the Uchiha asked.

Konan's eyes widened. _How…?_

Madara chuckled. "You should really be careful when you're talking with that midwife of yours, Konan. You won't know who's listening until it's too late. Did you actually think for a moment that I'd _allow_ you to take Akatsuki's one princess away from where she belongs?"

"She's too innocent to belong to a group like the Akatsuki!" She began to cough up blood.

Karin turned away. She hated seeing a fellow kunoichi in pain. But what could she do at this point? She couldn't stand up to Madara or Sasuke. _Plus, she knows the consequences for angering one so powerful…_ Karin thought that over and over again. But she knew it wouldn't justify killing the woman.

"Oh, don't worry. After she goes crazy, she'll fit in perfectly…"

"Do you think I'd let you soil her so?" Konan screamed.

"Ah, yes, and . . . actually and unfortunately,"—Madara smirked behind his mask, seeing Konan coughing up more blood—"you won't be around long enough to see your daughter suffer for her parents' mistakes. Your baby, too."

Karin's eyes widened at that, and she turned to Madara, hoping that he was just joking. But to her dismay, he wasn't. How could he be so cruel?

"_Bastard_!" Konan continued to cough up blood. "Leave my daughters out of this! They're far too innocent to get caught up in all of this!"

"Well, you should have thought of that before working against me, Konan."

"_Bastard_! I promise you, you'll die a horrible death!"—her eyes quickly glanced at Team Hebi, staying on Sasuke for just a split second, then back at Madara—"If not by your subordinates then by my daughter's hands!"

"_Ha_! Your words have no hold on me!" the Uchiha boasted. "Even if you continue to curse me till your death, I will not die. Your daughter is far too weak to even have the slightest chance of killing me. And besides, I do not take the word of a dying woman so seriously."

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

As Sakura lulled Shion to sleep with Botan by her side, Isaribi couldn't shake off such a bad feeling. Why didn't Konan send the signal yet? Did something happen to her? She prayed and hoped that the mother of the two children she watched was only being delayed. Madara did not know of their plan… He was busy with something else… Konan was only delayed…

And unbeknown to her, Sakura was praying for the same thing. Her parents should've been back by now… What was taking them so long?

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

Konan, all alone now, could feel her heart slowing. Her breath was heavy, and she knew she didn't have that much time left. She laughed at her foolishness. She should've guarded herself more. To have let this happen… She shook her head. _Nagato was right when he transferred his eyes… Madara won't be able to get to them now… _But that thought only took away one of her worries…

_"SCREW YOU! DO YOU EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CALLED MY _MOTHER_?" Sakura asked, pointing a kunai at the female Akatsuki member. "You're a hypocrite, you know that? Before, you told me that you didn't want anyone finding out that we're related, but now . . ." She scoffed as she stood. "You don't really care, do you? You just want another something to exercise your authority over."_

✿｡｡✿

_She slapped away her mother's hands. "Don't touch me."_

_"My child… What—"_

_"Get out of my room…" Sakura said, not even sparing a glance towards her mother. "I don't want to talk to you… Get out. _Get out_! GET OUT!"_

_"My child… What's the matter, _huh_? Why would you hurt yourself like that?"_

_"Do you even _care_?" Sakura asked, her gaze turned into a watery glare. "Would you even care if I were to kill myself?"_

Konan chuckled at those memories. How was it that, in such a short time, Sakura could see her as her mother again?

_"I don't want our relationship to be estranged…" Sakura cried after regaining her breath. "I don't want that, but I just don't understand… Why do I have to feel bitter towards you and Papa? Why do I have to feel jealous over a child that didn't even have a chance to breathe yet? Why do I always feel like this every time I speak with you?" Sakura asked. "I don't want to end up like Sasuke-kun, Mama… I don't want to end up hating you and Papa… I don't want to end up hating the baby… But I can't help but feel this way…"_

_"Sakura…"_

_"I'm not the one who's bad, Mama… It's you and Papa who are the bad guys… Because of you two, I can't accept this child as my baby sibling… Because of you two, I feel this way… Because of you two, I'm like this…" She started slapping her mother's chest with no strength whatsoever, making sure she didn't hit her mother's growing stomach. "You're the ones who made me like this…! Because of you . . . because of you…!"_

She chuckled again. She knew pretty well who had spoken to Sakura, the one who had made her daughter turn back on her decision to have nothing to do with her parents. _Well, I guess I have Itachi to thank for that, huh? She so much didn't want to be like those two brothers…_ She thought back to her assailant. _Uchiha Sasuke… Even if though Sakura finds out about your reason for wanting Konoha to fall, even if she still loves you, will she forgive for killing her mother? _She chuckled. _It was your brother's wish to see you live happily… You're too young, too handsome, to be thrown in such a mess… Please take care of my daughter, I'm begging you._ She looked to the sky. _And Uzumaki Naruto… Will Sakura be able to forgive you for killing her father? There's so much uncertainty now… I don't want her to be stuck in darkness… Help her please… _A tear fell from her eyes as her body slowly turned to paper. But could she go peacefully when she knew that her daughter would be surrounded only by fear and darkness?

_"Botan, go get Sakura! And tell Zetsu to alert the other Akatsuki members!"_

_Botan gave a firm nod and ran off as fast as his stubby little legs could take him._

_"Daijōbu, Fujin." Isaribi said to Konan, grasping her hand tightly. "You'll be fine, you'll be fine…"_

✿｡｡✿

_As Sakura held the little girl in her arms, she couldn't help but smile. "She's so small…" she said softly to her mother while keeping her eyes on her sister who just stared at her with wide eyes. "What did you decide to name her…?"_

_"Shion."_

_"_Shion_?" Sakura asked, thinking about it for a moment before her smile returned. "It's pretty… 'Heart-warming'… It's—"_

_"No. 'Self-sounding.'"_

_"_'Self-sounding'_?" Sakura turned to glance at her mother. "But why—"_

_"'Self-sounding' so that she needn't cause you the burden of being unable to save herself and for her to live by her own strength."_

_Upon hearing the meaning, Sakura's smile returned. "It's pretty…" She glanced back down at the small infant. "Don't you think so, too? Shion… Such a cute name for such a cute baby…"_

Konan gave a small smile. _That's right…_ Her smile grew. _She's not alone… She has people beside her who love her… Shion, help your older sister please… Help her stay out of darkness… Botan, help my daughters… And help the girl who took you in… And Isaribi… I want so much to thank you for your help in all of this, and I regret that I can't. I can only leave my daughters to you…_ And with that, Konan's body completely turned to paper, flying with the wind…

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Please, stop crying, Shion…" Sakura pleaded, wiping away her own tears.

"Fujin?" Isaribi asked, running to the pink-haired girl's side. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Fujin, why are you crying?" Botan asked.

"I don't know…" Sakura kept trying to wipe away her continuing tears and rocking Shion. "I just can't seem to stop crying… And I can't get Shion to stop…"

Isaribi just glanced at the two. It wasn't a bad omen, was it?

"Botan, stay with them, okay? I'm going to get some more tissues." And out the door she went. But she stopped once she was in the dark hallway. From her pocket, she took out two envelopes. _Konan-san… There's no need for me to read your will yet, is there?_

"Isaribi."

The girl gasped, quickly putting the envelopes back into her pocket. She turned to see Zetsu. "What is it?"

"Madara is back."

Her eyes widened. _What? So soon?_

"He wants to see Sakura."

"Ah, I . . . I see…" _This can't be good. _Her hand clutched the two envelopes in her pocket. _Konan-san… There's no way… You can't be gone… You couldn't have left your two daughters…_

✿｡.:**:.｡✿

"Why did you bring us here?"

"Patience, Sasuke… All will be revealed in time…" Madara said, not just to Sasuke but to the rest of Team Hebi.

Karin, unlike Sasuke who thought nothing of Madara's sinister tone, had her hands rolled up. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it when they killed Konan. The two daughters she left behind… Karin couldn't help but think Madara had something horrible installed for them.

"God-dad! You're back!"

Everyone turned to the girl who had entered the room, a baby in her hands followed by another woman and child.

Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the rosette-haired girl.

"Ah, Sakura…" Madara greeted. "Come and see who I've brought with me… I think you'll be happy to see him again and after such a long time…"

"_Huh_?" Sakura turned to the other people in the room, not noticing them when she had first come in. She didn't notice most of them. She knew she had seen the red-haired girl before, but… She trailed off on that thought before her eyes locked onto the last person. Her eyes widened when she saw her ex-teammate…

"Sa . . . Sasuke-kun…"

* * *

**Shimatta = shit**

**Yada = no; no way!**

**Yay! _Akatsuki no Kuruma _is finished! On to the sequel! And peoples, it's called _Toki no Sabaku_! Oh, and peoples, I'm not going to give a name for this trilogy since almost _none_ of you voted on a name, so yeah…**

**Oh, and for those who don't know, I put a lot of symbolism in this chapter. And so I'll explain some of it. Okay, when something breaks like a glass cup or vase, in Asian culture, it's a _very_ bad omen. Usually, something really bad happens right at that moment. Also, the red spider lilies are in the _Japanese_ language of flowers, and they mean "never to meet again." And the part where Sakura sees "her reflection oozing red blood" because of the glass shards and flower petals symbolizes that Sakura's mother, Konan, is in fetal danger. Usually, a daughter would look like her mother, but Sakura doesn't look like Konan, so . . . yeah… Symbolism in still there…**

**Thank you for reading this whole story! Yeah, this chapter was really rushed, but I still thank you very much! Thank you and good day!**


End file.
